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Statement on behalf of the EU Ambassador to Vietnam on the recent convictions of Ms Vu Thi Dung and Ms Nguyen Thi Ngoc Suong

17.05.2019
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The European Union Delegation to Vietnam expresses its concern following the sentencing of Ms Vu Thi Dung and Ms Nguyen Thi Ngoc Suong on 10 May by the People's Court of Dong Nai province.

These cases are part of an extensive enforcement of the national security provisions of the 2015 Penal Code and continue the negative trend, of prosecuting and sentencing Vietnamese citizens, including for peacefully expressing their opinions online.

Freedom of opinion and expression - online and offline – as well as the freedoms of association and peaceful assembly are fundamental rights of every individual. These individuals have peacefully advocated the promotion and protection of human rights as guaranteed by the Vietnamese Constitution, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Their sentences are in direct breach of these international obligations, which Vietnam has itself signed up to, and which the European Union expects full respect for.

The European Union expects Ms Vu Thi Dung and Ms Nguyen Thi Ngoc Suong to be immediately and unconditionally released.

The European Union is strongly committed to the protection of human rights defenders across the world. We will continue to monitor the Human Rights Situation in Vietnam, and work with the authorities towards the improvement of the human rights situation in the country.

Category
Local Statements
Location

Hanoi

Editorial sections
Vietnam