國際公民社會呼籲立即釋放越南政治良心犯TRAN HUYNH DUY THUC先生

聯合聲明 

(譯)TRAN HUYNH DUY THUC(音譯:陳黃維實)先生是越南知名的ICT企業家與部落客,他在2009年5月24日,僅僅因為平和地行使他的言論自由權,最初就被指控了越南刑法第88條的「散播反政府宣傳罪」,因而遭到逮捕。後來在2010年1月20日,在僅僅為期一天的審訊中,TRAN HUYNH DUY THUC和他的三位共同被告,分別是Le Cong Dinh先生﹑Nguyen Tien Trung先生 ﹑以及 Le Thang Long先生等人,就在胡志明市的人民法院中,被以刑法第79條「參與意圖推翻人民政權的叛亂活動」的罪名起訴。Thuc先生被判處16年的徒刑及之後5年的家中軟禁,而Dinh先生﹑Trung先生以及 Long先生,則分別被判處5年﹑7年﹑和5年的徒刑,以及隨後各自3年的家中軟禁。

針對所謂的意圖”顛覆”國家的罪名,事實上Thuc先生和其他共同被告被起訴的那些活動,不過就是透過部落格呼籲政治改革以及尊重人權(例如:https://tranfami.wordpress.com/…/hewing_quest_for_democracy…sperity/)。他們並沒有獲得一場公平的審判,且被告的家屬和外國媒體記者們,都不被允許進入法庭。當Thuc先生的辯護律師試圖為他辯護時,又或者當Long先生試圖告訴法庭,被告們的自白是在脅迫下所寫的時,被告們的麥克風根本無法運作。根據審訊現場參與者所言,法官僅僅休庭15分鐘就作成判決,但宣讀判決書花了45分鐘,足見判決書早已預先寫好。

聯合國任意拘禁問題工作組(WGAD)在2012年8月29日通過了一項聲明,認為越南政府拘留Thuc及其他三位共同被告,這已明顯違反公民與政治權利國際公約第19條所保障的言論與表意自由的權利,也違反了第9條有關人身安全與自由的權利,和第21條有關集會與結社自由的權利。而越南政府是公政公約的締約國。於是乎,WGAD就要求越南政府必須釋放他們,並提供給予應得的賠償,以符合越南政府的國際義務。雖然越南政府在2014年由聯合國人權理事會所舉辦的「普遍定期審查」(Universal Periodic Review)中,接受了31項關於呼籲尊重和保護言論自由的建議,但仍無法解決Thuc的案例。

2015年5月24日的今天,是Thuc入獄後的第六年。直到現在,Thuc仍然在監失去自由,而其他三位共同被告,皆早已獲得釋放。因此,我們要呼籲越南政府務必遵守國際和國內的義務,確保Thuc先生可以立即獲得釋放。唯有有關當局採取必要措施撤銷其定罪,Thuc先生才有可能獲得遲來的正義。國際社群和各人權組織,將密切關注。

JOINT STATEMENT CALLING FOR THE RELEASE OF VIETNAMESE PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE, TRAN HUYNH DUY THUC

24th May 2015

On 24 May 2009, Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, Vietnamese ICT entrepreneur and blogger, was arrested under the initial charge of “promoting anti-government propaganda” under Article 88 of the Vietnamese Penal Code for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression. On 20 January 2010, in a one-day trial, Tran Huynh Duy Thuc and his three co-defendants – Le Cong Dinh, Nguyen Tien Trung and Le Thang Long – were prosecuted at the People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City for “conducting activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration” under Article 79 of the Penal Code. Thuc was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment followed by 5 years of house arrest, while Dinh, Trung and Long, were sentenced to 5 years, 7 years and 5 years’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of house arrest, respectively.

Contrary to being found guilty of aiming to “overthrow” the state, the activities for which Thuc and his co-defendants were prosecuted comprised only blogging that called for political reform and respect for human rights (e.g.https://tranfami.wordpress.com/…/hewing_quest_for_democrac…/) They did not receive a fair trial and relatives of the defendants and foreign journalists were not allowed in the courtroom. The defendants’ microphones did not function when Thuc’s defense counsel tried to speak on his behalf or when Long attempted to inform the court that the defendants’ confessions were written under duress. According to eyewitnesses, the judges deliberated for only 15 minutes before returning with the judgment, which took 45 minutes to read, suggesting it had been prepared in advance of the hearing.

On 29 August 2012, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) adopted the opinion that Thuc and his three co-defendants’ detention violated the right to freedom of opinion and expression guaranteed by Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), as well as the right to liberty and security of person (Article 9) and the right to freedom of association (Article 21). Vietnam is a party to the ICCPR. Consequently, the WGAD requested the Vietnamese government to release them and provide them with compensation, in accordance with its international obligations. Although Vietnam accepted 31 of the recommendations calling for the respect and protection of freedom of expression at the Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in 2014, the Vietnamese government has still failed to resolve Thuc’s case.

Today, 24 May 2015, marks Thuc’s 6th year of imprisonment. Until now, Thuc remains in prison while his three co-defendants have been released early. As such, we would like to call on the Vietnamese government to abide by their international and domestic obligations by ensuring that Thuc is immediately released. Only when the relevant authorities have taken the necessary steps so that his conviction is overturned, will justice to Thuc be restored. The international community and human rights organizations will be watching.

SIGNED: 

  1. Amnesty International – ENGLAND 
  2. Civil Rights Defenders – SWEDEN 
  3. Freedom House – USA 
  4. International Commission of Jurists – SWITZERLAND 
  5. California State Senator Janet Nguyen, Thirty-Fourth District - USA 
  6. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) – THAILAND 
  7. Asian Human Rights Commission – HONG KONG 
  8. Assistance Association for Political Prisoners – BURMA 
  9. Burma Partnership – BURMA 
  10. Centre for Human Rights Education– PAKISTAN 
  11. Citizens for Justice and Peace – INDIA 
  12. Imparsial – INDONESIA 
  13. Justice and Peace Netherlands, The Hague – NETHERLANDS 
  14. Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders – HONG KONG 
  15. OT Watch Mongolia – MONGOLIA 
  16. Taiwan Association for Human Rights – TAIWAN 
  17. Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) – INDONESIA 
  18. Triangle Women's Support Group – BURMA 
  19. Van Lang – CZECH REPUBLIC 
  20. Vietnamese Overseas Initiative for Conscience Empowerment – PHILIPPINES 
  21. Association for the Protection of Religious Freedom – VIETNAM 
  22. Association of Former Political and Religious Prisoners of Vietnam – VIETNAM 
  23. Bach Dang Giang Foundation – VIETNAM 
  24. Bau Bi Tuong Than Association – VIETNAM 25. Canadian Youth for Human Rights Vietnam – VIETNAM 
  25. Civil Society Forum – VIETNAM 
  26. Chuong Bo Evangelical Protestant Church – VIETNAM 
  27. Evangelical Lutheran Church American and Vietnam – VIETNAM 
  28. Former Vietnamese Prisoners of Conscience - VIETNAM 
  29. Independent Journalist Association – VIETNAM 
  30. No – U Mien Trung - VIETNAM 
  31. REM Defenders – VIETNAM 
  32. Vietnam Path Movement – VIETNAM 
  33. Vietnamese Bloggers Network – VIETNAM 
  34. Vietnamese United Buddhist Sangha – VIETNAM 
  35. Group of Nguyen Kim Dien Priest – VIETNAM