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.