Nguyễn Văn Đài

In this Vietnamese name, the family name is Nguyễn, but is often simplified to Văn in English-language text. According to Vietnamese custom, this person should properly be referred to by the given name Đài.
Nguyễn Văn Đài
Born 1969
Hưng Yên
Nationality Vietnamese
Occupation lawyer
Known for democracy activism, 2015 detention
Religion Protestant

Nguyễn Văn Đài (born 1969) is a Vietnamese human rights lawyer, democracy activist and blogger. He was arrested by the Vietnamese authorities and charged under Article 88 for “conducting propaganda against the state”. The arrest was condemned by international human rights organisations and elected representatives across the world.

Activism

In 2006, Dai founded the Committee for Human Rights in Vietnam, dedicating his life to civil empowerment through legal means with programs aimed at expanding legal networkings, building capacity for future human rights defenders and increasing legal education by disseminating and authoring publications on civil and legal rights.[1] Through his work with the Committee for Human Rights, Dai has travelled across Vietnam to teach law students and train young human rights defenders on human rights reporting mechanisms and how to deal with police interrogation.

In May 2013, Dai also founded the “Brotherhood for Democracy”, a group of mostly former jailed dissidents to co-ordinate mobilising efforts throughout Vietnam.[2] In December 2015, the Brotherhood for Democracy organised a series of human rights forums in Hanoi and Saigon to mark International Human Rights Day. Police prevented Dai from leaving his house to attend and speak at the forum in Hanoi. Dai was beaten with wooden clubs, had his possessions taken and left stranded on a beach following training and facilitating a human rights forum in Nghe An Province the week before his arrest.[3]

Dai was previously tried in May 2008 and sentenced to five years in prison (later reduced to four years) for “conducting propaganda against the state” (Article 88) and was forced to close his offices.[4] He was released to four years of house arrest on March 9, 2011 and barred from practicing law. Dai concluded his house arrest in March 2015 but experienced regular police harassment, physical attacks and surveillance. Dai was the recipient of Human Rights Watch’s Hellman-Hammett Award and Vietnam Human Rights Network’s Human Rights Award in 2007.[5]

Arrest

Nguyen Van Dai was taken into custody in the morning of December 16, 2015.[6] According to his wife, he was on his way with Truong Van Dung, a Hanoi-based activist, to meet with European Union representatives involved in the bilateral human rights dialogue the previous day.[7]

Dai was taken back to his house by plainclothes police officers and was confronted by more than two dozen police officers in plainclothes and uniform. A search warrant was produced and signed by Dai and his wife. They also stated the charges which Dai did not agree to. Police confiscated several of his possessions including two laptops, a desktop computer and several USB sticks.[8]

Since his arrest, Dai has been held in incommunicado. His wife, Vu Minh Khanh, has not been allowed to visit him but has recently been able to send supplies to him. In December attorney Ha Huy Son submitted the paperwork to be Dai's defense lawyer but was declined by the Ministry of Public Security. Currently, Dai has not been given legal representation.

On the same day, Le Thu Ha, also a member of the Brotherhood for Democracy was also arrested under article 88.[9] She is currently being held incommunicado.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Vietnam Nguyen Van Dai attacked and arrested". Lawyers for Lawyers. Lawyers for Lawyers. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  2. ↑ Nguyen, An (August 5, 2013). "Vietnamese Activists Form 'Brotherhood for Democracy'". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  3. ↑ Nhu, Chan. "Vietnamese Lawyer Beaten by Masked Men Following Human Rights Class". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  4. ↑ "Nguyen Van Dai, a Christian lawyer, detained for "propaganda against the state"". asianews.it. December 17, 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  5. ↑ "Vietnam: Dissidents Struggle to Exercise Free Speech". Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  6. ↑ Petty, Martin (December 16, 2015). "Vietnam arrests lawyer for 'propaganda', 10 days after beating". Reuters. Reuters. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  7. ↑ Lipes, Joshua. "Vietnam Detains Dissident Lawyer For ‘Anti-State Propaganda’". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  8. ↑ "Vietnam – Human rights defender Nguyen Van Dai arrested a week after being brutally beaten". Front Line Defenders. Front Line Defenders. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  9. ↑ "JOINT STATEMENT CALLING FOR THE RELEASE OF VIETNAMESE ACTIVISTS: NGUYEN VAN DAI AND LE THU HA". Amnesty International. Amnesty International. Retrieved 16 January 2016.


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