U.S.-Vietnam Relations in Spotlight After Blogger's Sentencing in Hanoi

Vietnam's warming relations with the U.S. appear set to hit a frosty patch after a Hanoi court Wednesday sentenced a prominent U.S.-trained human rights lawyer, one of the country's best-known bloggers, to 30 months in prison in a tax-evasion case widely viewed to be politically motivated.

Vietnam’s suppression should not be rewarded

(By Editorial Board, Published: October 6). AS CHINA’S power grows, Vietnam has been working hard to build closer relations with the United States. Vietnam’spresident visited the White House in July; it has encouraged U.S. involvement in territorial disputes between China and several Asian countries, including Vietnam; and it is proposing to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a free-trade deal with the United States and 11 other countries.

ENGLISH PEN: Le Quoc Quan sentenced to 30 months in prison

English PEN joins PEN International in protesting the 30-month sentence and heavy fine handed down to blogger and human rights lawyer Le Quoc Quan for alleged tax evasion on 2 October 2013. PEN believes the charges to be politically motivated and that he has been penalised for his human rights work. We are therefore calling for his immediate and unconditional release.

According to our Vietnamese colleagues, Le Quoc Quan‘s wife was able to visit the camp where her husband is being held shortly after he was sentenced, on 8 October. Quan was allowed to talk to his wife and his mother for about 30 minutes, but was behind a screen so unable to see them. His wife reported that he is in poor health, but that his morale remains high, and that he had asked her to relay his sincere thanks to friends and fellow writers overseas for their ongoing support.

Viet Nam: UN rights office alarmed by conviction of renowned human rights lawyer

4 October 2013 – The United Nations human rights office today urged the Government of Viet Nam to review the conviction of human rights lawyer Le Quoc Quan, who was sentenced to 30 months in prison and fined $60,000 for alleged charges of tax evasion.

“We are alarmed by the fact that the conviction against Mr. Le Quoc Quan was handed down after only one day of trial, and there have been allegations of restrictions of access to the court by his family and supporters,” the spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Rupert Colville, told reporters in Geneva.

“This casts doubts whether his right to fair trial and due process were fully respected.”

Embassy Statement on Le Quoc Quan

October 2, 2013

We are deeply concerned by the Vietnamese government’s conviction and sentencing of human rights lawyer and blogger Le Quoc Quan to 30 months in prison on tax evasion charges.  The use of tax laws by Vietnamese authorities to imprison government critics for peacefully expressing their political views is disturbing.

This conviction appears to be inconsistent with the right to freedom of expression and Vietnam’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and commitments reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

IREPORTCNN.COM: FREE LE QUOC QUAN NOW

Thousands of people came from all over Vietnam to attend the trial of the famous Human Rights Lawyer Le Quoc Quan, who was illegally arrested on December 27, 2012 and detained for alleged tax evasion, a charge which carries a maximum of seven years imprisonment and a severe fine if found guilty.

FOXNEWS: Vietnam dissident Le Quoc Quan jailed for tax evasion

HANOI (AFP) –  One of Vietnam's best known dissidents was jailed for two and a half years Wednesday as hundreds of supporters protested in the capital against the communist state's crackdown on dissent.

Scores of police formed a ring around the Hanoi People's Court, where lawyer and blogger Le Quoc Quan was convicted of tax evasion charges denounced by international rights campaigners as politically motivated.

Viet Nam: Lawyer latest victim of government’s crackdown on dissent

“

This is a ludicrous sentence, and just another clear example of the Vietnamese authorities harassing and imprisoning those who are peaceful critics with opposing views. Isabelle Arradon, Amnesty International’s Deputy Asia Pacific Director.

”

Isabelle Arradon, Asia Pacific Deputy Director at Amnesty International.

Viet Nam must immediately release a prominent lawyer and human rights activist who was jailed on politically motivated charges today, Amnesty International said.

A court in Viet Nam’s capital Ha Noi today sentenced Le Quoc Quan, one of the country’s best known dissidents, to 30 months in prison on trumped up tax evasion charges.

“This is a ludicrous sentence, and just another clear example of the Vietnamese authorities harassing and imprisoning those who are peaceful critics with opposing views,” said Isabelle Arradon, Amnesty International’s Deputy Asia Pacific Director.

Vietnam: Le Quoc Quan did not receive fair trial

Vietnam: Le Quoc Quan did not receive fair trial

The ICJ said the conviction today of Le Quoc Quan, a lawyer and human rights defender in Vietnam, violated international standards governing the right to a fair trial.

Judge Le Thi Hop of the People’s Court of Hanoi convicted and sentenced Le Quoc Quan to 30 months imprisonment with time served since late December 2012 to be taken into account.

Canadian MP Judy Sgro expresses concern about lawyer Le Quoc Quan

The Honorable Nguyen Tan Dung, Prime Minister

Socialist Republic of Vietnam

2 Hoang Van Thu Hanoi, Vietnam

Mr. Prime Minister:

I am writing to add my name to the list of those concerned with recent reports involving systemic human rights violations and imprisonment in your country. By way of example, I would cite reports pertaining to the detention and imprisonment of people such as Le Quoc Quan.

Lawyers for Lawyers: Le Quoc Quan sentenced to 30 months in jail

Lawyers for Lawyers
02 Oct 13

On 2 October 2013, Vietnamese lawyer Le Quoc Quan was sentenced to 30 months in jail for tax evasion.

Le Quoc Quan is a well-known Vietnamese lawyer and human rights defender. He has been harassed constantly since 2007 by the Vietnamese authorities because of his human rights activities.

Vietnam dissident Le Quoc Quan jailed over tax evasion

Le Quoc Quan was accused of avoiding corporate income tax - charges his supporters say were trumped up

Continue reading the main story

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One of Vietnam's best-known dissidents, Le Quoc Quan, has been sentenced to 30 months in jail for tax evasion.

Vietnam dissident Le Quoc Quan jailed for tax evasion

US trained lawyer Le Quoc Quan denounces 30-month sentence saying he is the 'victim of political acts'

• Hanoi, AP
• theguardian.com, Wednesday 2 October 2013 10.45 BST

Hanoi: 30 months in prison sentence for the Catholic lawyer Le Quoc Quan

He will also have to pay a fine of more than $50,000. The Court convicted him of tax evasion. The hearing lasted for a couple of hours and ended with the expected guilty sentence. Outside, thousands of police officers and government-hired thugs prevented entry into the courtroom to supporters of the activist.

Hanoi (AsiaNews) - The judges of the Court in Hanoi condemned the Catholic activist and lawyer Le Quoc Quan, on trial for alleged "evasion", to 30 months in prison and to pay a $56,000 fine. The farcical hearing lasted a couple of hours and - despite protests and appeals by the defence - it ended with a prison sentence and heavy fine. Outside thousands of Catholics expressed their support in the capital's streets, waving palms (pictured) in a symbolic gesture that invokes the Sunday when Jesus makes his entry into Jerusalem.

"The prayer that pains all mankind" *

I just peeled away the last page of the last year’s daily calendar while writing the words of this nonsense as a way of soothing myself. And also to prevent the phobia from overflowing to the new year. The specter of a pregnant woman having to live in prison. The specter of another woman who was beaten up, stripped of her clothes while those who identify themselves as human beings thoroughly search her body at the precinct police headquarters, a place to be known as "dutiful to protect citizens." The haunting thoughts of a family of three people arrested in less than three months.

My first impression of Lawyer Le Quoc Quan was the image of a man being "dragged away" by half a dozen of policemen in front of the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi while shouting: "Spratly and Paracel Islands belong to Vietnam." It was on September 12, 2007, the first day since 1975 when people dared to take to the streets to express their patriotism, to protest the Chinese invasion of Vietnam. He probably did not know of me then. Later on, when in contact with him, I was surprised that he never talked to me about human rights or democracy, the values that he and I are both pursuing. I noticed another interesting trait about him, it was the fact that he likes joke stories and he told those stories very charmingly.

REP. SANCHEZ WISHES VIETNAMESE HUMAN RIGHTS ATTORNEY LE QUOC QUAN A HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CALLS FOR HIS RELEASE

WASHINGTON, SEP 13 –Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-46) issued the following statement in honor of imprisoned Vietnamese human rights attorney and prominent blogger, Mr. Le Quoc Quan.

"Most of us spend our birthdays with our friends and family, but today Mr. Le Quoc Quan, a prominent Vietnamese lawyer and blogger, turned 42 alone in prison. Today, I wish Mr. Quan a birthday of good health and good spirits so that he can continue his quest to promote social justice in Vietnam. I had the honor of meeting Mr. Quan in Vietnam during my trips to Vietnam. He's a man full of courage and love for his country. 

Viet Nam: Response to Government of Viet Nam’s comments concerning the Petition filed on behalf of Mr Le Quoc Quan

TO:  UNITED NATIONS WORKING GROUP ON ARBITRARY DETENTION

Mr. Malick Sow (Senegal)

Ms. Shaheen Ali (Pakistan)

Mr. Vladimir Tochilovsky (Ukraine)

Mr. Roberto Garretón (Chile)

Mr. Mads Andenas (Norway)

HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLYin the matter ofLe Quoc Quan(the “Petitioner”)v.Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam30 August 2013_______________________________________

Vietnam and America: All aboard?

IT TOOK until 1995, a full two decades after those iconic American helicopters beat a hasty retreat from the roof of an official residence during the fall (or liberation) of Saigon, for Vietnam and America to normalise their diplomatic relations. Since then building up their relationship has been a “painstaking process”, in the words of John Kerry, the head of America’s state department and a veteran of the war’s losing side.

Harmonious encounter: U.S.-Vietnam differences likely to be downplayed in presidential visit – The Edge Review

The Edge Review (July 19th, 2013): When Vietnam hosted the East Asia Summit in 2010, the keynote press conference was a joint appearance by then U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem.

In a small side room of the cavernous Hanoi National Convention Centre, an untimely technical hitch interrupted the English-to-Vietnamese translation of Clinton’s remarks, which were being relayed through headsets to the many non-Anglophone local journalists scribbling away, elbow-to-elbow, in the packed chamber.

19 NGOs’ letter to U.S. President Barack Obama: Please ask the Vietnamese President to free Le Quoc Quan

Southeast Asian Press Alliance:(23 July 2013): Nineteen human rights organizations have written to U.S. President Barack Obama to raise the issue of the detention of human rights defender and blogger Mr Le Quoc Quan to when President Truong Tan Sang of Vietnam meets Obama on 25 July.

The President of the United States

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20500

Vietnam leader faces rights pressure on rare US visit

AFP: Vietnam's president on Wednesday starts a rare visit to Washington to boost trade and security ties between the former war foes, but activists urged the United States to press him on human rights.

President Truong Tan Sang will on Thursday become only the second Vietnamese head of state to visit the White House since the countries normalized ties. He will meet Wednesday with business leaders and Secretary of State John Kerry.

Obama invites Vietnam president for rare trip

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has invited his Vietnamese counterpart to visit the United States this month, sources said Wednesday, looking to boost cooperation on security and trade despite concerns over the communist state's rights record.

President Truong Tan Sang's visit would be only the second by a Vietnamese head of state to Washington since the former war adversaries normalized relations and comes as both governments see growing common interests.

Two people familiar with the trip plans, who were not allowed to be quoted by name, told AFP that Obama has invited Sang to the White House during the last week of July.

Vietnam's Latest Show Trial

The Wall Street Journal: As early as Tuesday, another dissident is due to face trial in a Vietnamese courtroom. This time the defendant is Le Quoc Quan, a lawyer and one of the country's highest-profile activists. His case will be of particular interest to Americans.

Last December, Mr. Le was arrested after he wrote a column for the BBC's website in which he argued for a new constitution without a guarantee of a Communist Party monopoly on power. He regularly blogs on rights issues, and he has participated in protests against Chinese territorial claims to sovereignty over South China Sea islands also claimed by Vietnam.

Advocates Keep Spotlight on Le Quoc Quan

On July 9, 2013, the trial of Le Quoc Quan, one of Vietnam’s most active human rights defenders and an outspoken blogger, was supposed to take place in Hanoi. But Vietnamese authorities at the last minute decided to postpone his trial until further notice. This is the latest in a string of fair trial violations that have been committed towards the activist since his arrest last year.

Twelve US Representatives call for Attorney Le Quoc Quan’s unconditional release

CONGRESS of the UNITED STATES

WASHINGTON D.C 20515

June 25, 2013

His Excellency Nguyen Tan Dung

Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

c/o Embassy of Vietnam

1233 20th Street, NW, Suite 400. Washington DC, 20036

Prominent Catholic rights activist's trial postponed

UCANEWS: Vietnam has postponed the trial of one of its most prominent human rights defenders amid mounting pressure for his release by activists and international human rights organizations.

Joseph Le Quoc Quan, a Hanoi-based Catholic lawyer, was due to go on trial today for alleged tax evasion.

However, in a notice sent to Quan’s lawyer yesterday, the People’s Court of Hanoi said the trial had been postponed because the trial judge had gone down with flu. No new date for the trial has been supplied.

RFA: Vietnamese Dissident’s Lawyers Face Obstructions Ahead of Trial

 June 19, 2013

The brother of a prominent Vietnamese dissident lawyer detained on tax evasion charges said attorneys have been refused access to court documents ahead of his trial next month, as rights groups appealed to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to pressure Hanoi for his release.

Le Quoc Quyet told RFA’s Vietnamese Service that the legal team representing his older brother Le Quoc Quan, who is also a blogger, had experienced frequent standoffs with the authorities over legal documents since his case was transferred to the Hanoi People’s Court in April.

“The lawyers have faced constant obstruction when trying to access case documents,” Quyet said, adding that the defense had only been notified last week by the court of his brother’s July 9 trial date.

“Lawyer Tran Thu Nam was only given a chance to make copies of the whole set of documents on June 13,” he said.

Trinh Hoi sings live for SBTN's "Hat Cho Nhan Quyen" event

UN human rights watchdogs called on to secure release of Vietnamese blogger

MLDI and its partners call for Le Quoc Quan's immediate and unconditional release.

The Media Legal Defence Initiative, together with eleven other human rights organisations, has submitted requests for urgent action to three United Nations Special Rapporteurs and the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, calling for the immediate release of Vietnamese human rights lawyer and blogger Le Quoc Quan.

Le Quoc Quan has been held in solitary detention by the Vietnamese authorities since his arrest on 27 December on trumped up allegations of tax evasion. He has been allowed to see his lawyer only once and has been refused any contact with his family.

Press Releases: Remarks on the Release of the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012

Special Briefing

Uzra Zeya – Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

Washington, DC – April 19, 2013

MS. ZEYA: Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. I’d like to say a few words about how we use the Annual Human Rights Reports to inform our diplomacy around the world and give you a quick overview of some of the major developments they describe over the past year, then I’d be happy to take your questions.

As the Secretary said, human rights are central to America’s global diplomatic engagement, and these reports are the factual foundation upon which we build and shape our policies. Human rights are on the agenda in all our bilateral relations, such as during the recent U.S.-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue where we urged the release of all political prisoners including Le Quoc Quan, Dr. Vu and others. We advocate on behalf of those imprisoned for their activism or beliefs, including Chinese Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo and human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng and Pastor Saeed Abedini in Iran, among many others all over the world.

Video pray for lawyer Le Quoc Quan

The Law Society of Upper Canada Expresses Grave Concerns about the Arrest and Detention of Human Rights Lawyer Le Quoc Quan

The Law Society of Upper Canada is gravely concerned about the arrest and detention of human rights lawyer Le Quoc Quan in Vietnam.

Reliable reports indicate that on December 27, 2012, Le Quoc Quan, human rights lawyer and blogger, was arrested by the police while dropping off his daughter at school. The police advised the family that he would be charged under Article 161 of the Criminal Code, which relates to tax evasion.  If he is convicted, he risks three years in prison and a heavy fine. 

Reliable reports indicate that on December 27, 2012, Le Quoc Quan was arrested while dropping his daughter off at school.   The police advised the family that he would be charged under Article 161 of the Criminal Code, which relates to tax evasion.  If he is convicted, he risks three years in prison and a heavy fine. 

Hey John Kerry, free Le Quoc Quan

HOW important is it that America have a terrific secretary of state? I don't really know. Put it this way: think about any course of action America itself has pursued over the past 50 years. Now, if you were to list the top ten reasons why America decided to pursue that course of action, would the diplomatic efforts of any foreign country be on that list? In a couple of instances, maybe. But not very often. Now, reverse the polarity. That's why I'm sceptical that the quality of American diplomacy has often had a major influence on what other countries decide to do. Blustering, alienating incompetence may earn you unnecessary antagonism, but whether your diplomacy is superb or just mediocre, it doesn't seem likely you'll be able to persuade other countries to radically change their mind about major policies like, oh, pursuing nuclear-weapons capability.

NED expresses deep concern to government of Vietnam

In a letter to the Prime Minister of Vietnam, the National Endowment for Democracy has expressed its deep concern over the Dec. 27 arrest of prominent human rights lawyer and blogger Lê Quốc Quân in Vietnam.

Quân, who was a Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow (2006-2007) at NED in Washington, DC, has written extensively on human rights abuses in Vietnam and has been detained by authorities multiple times on account of his pro-democracy views.

This is the full text of NED President Carl Gershman’s letter to the Prime Minister of Vietnam:

Court appeal of dissident Vietnam bloggers is rejected

An appeals court in Vietnam has upheld the sentences of two prominent bloggers jailed in September for "anti-state propaganda", a lawyer has told the BBC.

The court ruled that the sentences and convictions of writer Nguyen Van Hai and former policewoman Ta Phong Tan should not be overturned.

Nguyen Van Hai and Ta Phong Tan received 12 and 10 years in jail respectively after a brief trial.

In a separate development, another top blogger has been arrested.