The ICJ signed a joint statement together with 35 other national and international NGOs calling for the immediate release of Vietnamese blogger Tran Huynh Duy Thuc.
Tran Huynh Duy Thuc was arrested on 24 May 2009 for “promoting anti-government propaganda” after posting a blog calling for political reform and respect for human rights.
On 20 January 2010, following a one day trial with three co-defendants, he was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment followed by five years house arrest.
On 29 August 2012, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that Tran Huynh Duy 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), to which Vietnam is a State Party, as well as the right to liberty and security of person (Article 9) and the right to freedom of association (Article 21).
The Working Group concluded by requesting Vietnam to release Tran Huynh Duy Thuc and provide him with compensation in accordance with Article 9(5) of the ICCPR.
Vietnam-Statement on blogger Duy Thuc-News-webstory-2015-ENG (full text of statement in PDF)