Caselist - PEN International

50of trial: Tried and convicted on 17 January 2010 for “activities aimingto overthrow the people’s government” under article 79 of the CriminalCode. The trial lasted one day, and neither Tran’s relatives or the presswere allowed into the courtroom. Said to be convicted for his dissidentactivities and writings. Professional details: Tran is said to be the directorgeneral of the company One Connection Internet Inc., and Founder of theStudies Group for Improving and Promoting Vietnam. He has various webblogs, the most prominent being ‘Change we need’, where he publisheshis articles on the social and political situation in Vietnam, as well as hispoems. He is said to be the co-author of the clandestine book The Way forVietnam. Place of detention: Labour camp Z30A K1, Xuan Loc, DongNai, Vietnam.TRAN Quoc HienD.o.b: 1965. Profession: Internet writer and human rights lawyer. Date ofarrest: 12 January 2007. Sentence: Five years in prison, followed by twoyears probationary detention. Expires: January 2012. Details of arrest:Reportedly arrested on 12 January 2007, the day after being nominatedas the spokesperson for the Workers-Farmers Organisation (UWFO), anorganisation which represents workers and farmers’ rights and which isnot recognised by the government. He was charged with ‘spreading antigovernmentpropaganda’ on the Internet and ‘endangering state security’.Details of trial: He was found guilty of both charges by a court in HoChi Minh City on 15 May 2007, following a trial that reportedly onlylasted four hours. Place of detention: Trai giam Z30A, Xuan Truong,Xuan Loc, Dong Nai, Vietnam. Professional details: Tran Quoc Hienis known for his critical writings published on the Internet, including ashort story ‘The Tail’ about the experience of life under surveillance. Heis a member of the pro-democracy movement ’Bloc 8406’. He is also ahuman rights lawyer, known for his work defending farmers whose landhas been confiscated by local authorities. He had reportedly been underclose surveillance for some time prior to his arrest. (RAN 26/07 – 24May 2007).TRUONG Minh Duc:D.o.b.:1960. Profession: Freelance journalist and political activist.Member of Bloc 8406 and the Vietnamese Populist party. Date of arrest:5 May 2007 Sentence: 5 years in prison Expires: 4 May 2012 Details ofarrest: He was arrested on 5 May 2007 and remained under interrogationat B-34 Detention Centre in Ho Chi Minh City, then transferred to a jailfacility in Kien-Giang. Details of trial: Reportedly given a five-yearprison sentence on 28 March 2008 for ‘taking advantage of democraticrights to act against the state’s interest’ and ‘receiving money fromabroad to support complaints against the state’, under Article 258 on theCriminal Code. The sentence was handed down by a court Vinh Thuan,in the southern province of Kien Giang. Duc is known for his articles oncorruption and abuse of power since 1994 for various newspapers, underdifferent pseudonyms. Among the pieces he wrote, and which are said tohave incriminated him are the following articles: ‘To Point at Corruption’sMandarins in Kien Giang Province’; ‘Court of Tyrannous, Influential andPowerful Notables; and ‘Province Chairman, Inspectors in collusion withJudiciary System’. Place of detention: Phan khu 3, Trai giam Z30A,Xuan Truong, Xuan Loc, Dong Nai, Vietnam. Health concerns: Hisfamily reported that in January 2008 he broke his arm, and because ofpoor medical treatment has since been in poor health. Said to be sufferingfrom high blood pressure and gastrointestinal problems. Treatment inprison: It is reported that he is detained with criminal prisoners in anisolated camp deep in the jungle. He has a limited access to his family.Vi Duc HOI:D.o.b.: 1956 Profession: Former high-ranking Communist partymember, democracy activist and online commentator. Date of arrest:27 October 2010 Sentence: 5 years in prison Expires: 26 October 2015.Details of arrest: Arrested over his writings and his activities for thebanned human rights defenders organisation Bloc 8406. Details of trial:Hoi was sentenced to eight years in prison and five years of house arrestin January 2011 on charges of disseminating “propaganda against thestate” for commentaries he posted on the Internet. An appeals court inLang Son province reduced his sentence on 26 April 2011 to five yearsin prison and three years house arrest. Place of detention: Trai giam YenTrach, Cao Loc, Lang Son Province, Vietnam. Other information: In2006 he started publishing articles online calling for democratic reformsand criticising alleged government corruption. Recipient of the Hellman/Hammett awards 2009 and 2011. Previous political imprisonment/problems: Arrested in 2007 and held for one week before being expelledfrom the Community Party and dismissed from his official positions. InJune 2008 he was subjected to a ‘people’s tribunal’ for being a ‘traitor’.He has since been subject to regular harassment, interrogation and housearrest.Imprisoned – investigationPHAN Thanh Hai: (aka Anh Ba Sai Gon)D.o.b: 1969. Profession: Lawyer, independent journalist and blogger.Date of arrest: 18 October 2010. Details of arrest: Reportedly arrestedby Public security police at his residence without any charges beingmade known. Thought to be held for posting ‘false information’ on hisblog, in which he writes about Vietnam’s territorial disputes with Chinaand the issue of bauxite mining. He has also expressed his support forother Vietnamese dissidents. His wife claims he is facing a possible fourmonthjail sentence for ‘propaganda against the state’ under article 88of the Penal Code. Other information: Phan Thanh Hai was knownas an active member of the Free Journalist Network in Viet Nam (CauLac Bo Nha Bao Tu Do) since 2007. His blog http://anhbasg.multiply.com is known for its social and news reports about Vietnam. His blogrecently was hacked and erased completely three times by professionalhackers. Public Security police frequently harassed and interrogated himabout his blogging. He was intimidated and threatened during severalbrief detentions. Phan is a graduate from law school, but cannot practicehis profession because his application has been denied by the Ho ChiMinh Bar Association because of his blogging and activism. Place ofdetention: Public security police detention centre at Ho Chi Minh city.He remains in detention as of 31 December 2011. Other information:Recipient of the 2011 Hellman/Hammett award.ReleasedNGO Quynh: Student and dissident writer. Arrested on 10 September2008 as part of a crackdown on dissent and sentenced to 3 years in prisonand 3 years’ probationary detention under Article 88 of the criminal codefor ‘conducting propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam’.Released from prison on 1 July 2011, two months before the expiry ofhis sentence.Tran Khai Thanh THUY (f): Writer, novelist, poet, essayist and activist.Arrested on 8 October 2009 after she publicly expressed her supportfor six dissidents facing trial. On the day of her arrest an incident tookplace near Thuy’s home, in which two men reportedly attacked Thuy’shusband, and she intervened on his defence. She was subsequentlyquestioned and charged with assault, although it is widely believed thatshe herself was in fact the victim of the attack. Sentenced to three anda half years in prison on 5 February 2010. Tran Khai Thanh Thuy wasreleased on 5 July 2011 on condition that she accepted forced exile inthe United States.NGUYEN Binh Thanh: Human rights activist and dissident, co-founderof the Vietnam Progressive Party and co-editor’ associate of Tu Do NgonLuan (Freedom of Speech) underground online magazine. He was arrestedon 29 March 2007, and sentenced to five years in prison, followed by twoyears of probationary detention, for ‘Conducting propaganda against theSocialist Republic of Vietnam’ under Article 88 of the Criminal Code. On2 September 2011, Nguyen Binh Thanh was released under amnesty. Heremains under probationary detention for two years.NGUYEN Van Tinh: Co-editor of the underground review To Quoc (TheNation), was arrested in September 2008, and sentenced to 3 years andsix months in prison and 3 years’ probationary detention for ‘Conductingpropaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam’. His detention waslinked to online articles and essays published between November 2006and September 2008. On 30 August 2011, Tran Duc Thach was amnestiedin celebration of the Vietnamese National Day (2 September).TRAN Duc Thach: Poet and Internet writer, member of the Associationof Writers of Nghe An province, was arrested on 12 September 2008 andsentenced to 3 years in prison and 3 years’ probationary detention. Tranwas tried and convicted on the charge of ‘propaganda against the SocialistRepublic of Vietnam” according to Article 88 of Vietnam’s Penal Code.On 30 August 2011, Tran Duc Thach was amnestied in celebration of theVietnamese National Day (2 September).Case closedLe Hoang HUNG: Reporter with the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper.Reportedly died on 30 January 2011 after being attacked on 19 January 2011by an assailant who doused him in chemicals and set him ablaze whilst heslept. He suffered severe burns and died ten days later in hospital. His wifeinitially told reporters that Hung had received death threat text messages onhis mobile phone from unknown numbers before the attack, although shewas later arrested and charged with his murder and has pleaded guilty. Caseclosed, not targeted for his reporting.Le Nguyen Huong TRA (f): Blogger, known for her blog Co Gai DoLong. Reportedly arrested in Ho Chi Minh City on 23 October 2010 forallegedly defaming a senior Communist Party official and his family in ablog she posted on 14 October 2010. On 21 January 2011, security policedisclosed that Lê Nguyên Huong Tra had been freed on bail pendingtrial after ’she admitted a defamatory blog post’. In July 2011, PEN wasinformed that the charges against Tra had been withdrawn. Case closed.VU Van Hung: Professor, activist and internet writer, was arrested on18 September 2008, and sentenced to 3 years in prison and three years’probationary detention, for ‘conducting propaganda against the SocialistRepublic of Vietnam’. Vu was accused of writing slogans on a bannerand then hanging it from a highway overpass in the capital Hanoi in July2008. On 19 September 2011 Vu was released on expiry of his sentence.Case closed.EUROPEARMENIAKilled –Investigation*Alvard ABRAMZYAN (f): editor of the newspaper Menk Merontsov.Abramzyan’s body was found in the village of Vokhchaberd on 1September 2011 bearing evidence of violence. It was reported that theeditor had many debts, which allegedly led to her killing. PEN is seekingfurther information.Imprisoned - InvestigationMurad BODJOLYAN: d.o.b. c. 1947. Former diplomat and journalist.Arrested January 2002. Trial details: Trial started on 24 October 2002under Article 59 of the Criminal Code (treason). Subsequently convictedto ten years in prison on 16 December 2002. Accused of passing onmilitary and economic information to the Turkish military intelligence,as well as details of Kurdish Workers Party exiles in Armenia. Lawyersargue there is little evidence and suggest that his writings are the basisof the charges. The conviction was upheld in early 2003 and is nowfinal. Bodjolyan has brought his case to the European Court of HumanRights. Background: Bodjolyan is a freelance journalist for the TurkishNTV television network. Until 1998 he worked in the Armenian foreignministry and acted as interpreter for former president Ter-Petrosian. Thereare suggestions that the conviction may be linked to the February 2003presidential elections and is aimed at undermining Ter-Petrosian who isstanding for re-election. He is married with children. Last informationdated August 2009 reported that Bodjolyan was still in prison, despiteseveral petitions to the authorities asking for his early release. No furtherinformation as of December 2011.ReleasedNikol (Nicole) PASHINYAN: Leader of the opposition party inAzerbaijan and editor of the pro-opposition newspaper HaykakanZhamanak. Arrested in July 2009 and sentenced to three years in prisonafter a period of hiding. Relates to his alleged involvement in March 2008protests and riots that occurred after the official results of the presidentialelections of 10 February 2009. Pashinyan was released on 26 May 2011,alongside other opposition activists, includingt former parliament deputySasun Mikaelian. The pardon was in accordance with a general amnestydeclared by authorities.AZERBAIJANKilledRafiq TAGI: journalist, died in hospital on 23 November 2011 after hehad been attacked as he was returning home from work on 19 November2011. Tagi received six stab wounds in the attack and needed emergencysurgery to remove his spleen. He was also reported at the time to havesuffered broken ribs, a fractured soldier blade and injuries to his stomachand diaphragm. The attack was reportedly carried out by two unidentifiedmale assailants, aged approximately 30-35 years, who had their facesconcealed and did not say anything. Tagi underwent four hours of 51