Sonntag, 27. Oktober 2013

RAPID ACTION NETWORK

RAPID ACTION NETWORK
28 March 2013
RAN 14/13

VIETNAM: Fears for the health of imprisoned writer and activist.
PEN International is seriously concerned for the health of writer and activist Nguyen Huu Cau, who is seriously ill and denied adequate medical care in the prison camp where he is serving a life-time sentence for his critical writings. PEN International protests his imprisonment, and demands his immediate and unconditional release on humanitarian grounds and in accordance with Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Vietnam is a signatory.

According to PEN’s information, Nguyen Huu Cau, 67, is a poet, songwriter, human rights defender and anti-corruption activist. He was arrested by public security police on 9 October 1982 for having authored an ‘incriminating’ manuscript of songs and poems. Nguyen Huu Cau had reportedly noted allegations of rape and bribery committed by the two high level officers on the back of the pages of the original manuscript.

Nguyen Huu Cau was accused of committing ‘destructive acts’ that were supposedly ‘damaging’ to the government’s image and on 23 May 1983, he was sentenced to death. His mother submitted an appeal on his behalf and a year later, on 24 May 1985, the Court of Appeals commuted his capital sentence into life imprisonment. The manuscript was reportedly not used as evidence in the trial against him, in order to protect the two officers concerned.

In the many years since, Nguyen Huu Cau has reportedly been held in harsh solitary confinement. He has apparently now lost most of his vision and is almost completely deaf. Nguyen Huu Cau suffers from a serious heart condition, which is worsening because of the lack of adequate medical attention and the deplorable prison conditions. He was recently reported to be in very poor health, according to his daughter returning from an authorized periodical visit to the camp deep in the jungle. Concerns for his well-being are acute. Nguyen Huu Cau is being held at forced labour camp K2 Z30A Xuan Loc, Dong Nai province, Vietnam.

Samples of Nguyen Huu Cau’s poems and songs are attached, translated from the Vietnamese by Nguyen Hoang Bao Viet of Suisse Romande PEN.

Please send appeals:
* Expressing serious concern for the health of imprisoned writer and activist Nguyen Huu Cau and urging that he is given full access to all necessary medical care as a matter of urgency;
* Calling for his immediate and unconditional release on humanitarian grounds and in accordance with Article 19 of the ICCPR to which Vietnam is signatory.

(...)  PEN International Writers in Prison Committee
Brownlow House 50-51 High Holborn London WC1V 6ER.
Tel.+44 (0)20 7405 0338 Fax: +44 (0)20 7405 0339 www.pen-international.org .


Donnerstag, 3. Oktober 2013

Neues vom Forum Vietnam21

Neues vom Forum Vietnam21

Das autoritäre vietnamesische Regime ist Meister im Erfinden falscher Beschuldigungen


Le Quoc Quan (r.) verfolgt die Urteilsbegründung des Gerichts in Hanoi.  Bild: ap

HANOI dpa | Ein prominenter Regierungskritiker ist in Vietnam am Mittwoch zu zweieinhalb Jahren Haft verurteilt worden. Le Quoc Quan (41) stand wegen Steuerhinterziehung vor Gericht, aber Menschenrechtler sprachen von einer politisch motivierten Anklage. „Ich habe keinen Rechtsbruch begangen. Ich bin ein Opfer politischer Machenschaften“, sagte Quan während des eintägigen Prozesses in Hanoi. Er muss zudem umgerechnet knapp 23.000 Euro Strafe zahlen.