Posted 2012/9/24, Front Line Defenders – The
appeal of human rights defenders Mr Dau Van Duong, Mr Tran Huu Duc, and Mr Chu Manh Son will begin in the People’s Court of Nghe An on 26 September 2012 at 7:30 am.
On 24 May 2012, the three human rights defenders, who were involved in citizen journalism and had campaigned against human rights abuses and bauxite mining prior to their arrest, were all convicted of “conducting propaganda against the State” under Section 88 of the Vietnamese Penal Code.
Dau Van Duong was sentenced to 42 months imprisonment, while Tran Huu Duc and Chu Manh Son were handed down sentences of 39 months and 26 months respectively.
The three human rights defenders were the subjects of a joint letter co-authored by Front Line Defenders and several other international NGOs, dated 27 August 2012 and a Front Line Defenders urgent appeal, dated 14 November 2011.
Front Line Defenders reiterates its calls on the Vietnamese authorities to quash the convictions of the aforementioned human rights defenders and to effect their immediate and unconditional release.
Source: http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/19887
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