Vietnam: Petition of religious leaders for the release of prisoners of conscience
October 08, 2013: The Vietnamese religious leaders have united to demand the immediate
release of 14 young Catholics and Protestants currently detained because of their
political views. The leaders have signed and spread a petition, sent to Fides Agency
by the Province of the Redemptorists religious in Vietnam. In the text, signed by
Catholic and Protestant religious leaders, as well as Buddhist leaders of various
denominations, asks for "justice and respect for human rights in Vietnam". The petition
is addressed to the members of the National Assembly of Vietnam, the governments and
various international institutions such as the UN Council for Human Rights, based
in Geneva, called to "monitor the situation". In calling for the immediate release
of the 14 young people and other "prisoners of conscience", the petition calls on
the government not to use torture and to allow medical care to prisoners.
In
recent months, Vietnam has been criticized by groups and NGOs regarding the behavior
towards activists who defend freedom of expression and respect for human rights. On
2 October the Catholic lawyer and human rights activist Le Quoc Quan was sentenced
to 30 months in prison on charges of tax evasion, but according to some NGOs, the
charges are politically motivated. As reported to Fides by a well-known NGO "Christian
Solidarity Worldwide", the Vietnamese government has also blocked and repressed free
demonstrations of Catholic faithful who sought the right to the land and the release
of detainees in prison without trial. CSW calls for respect of freedom of religion
and freedom of conscience inVietnman, stating that these are the preconditions for
the development of a peaceful and fair society. (Source: Agenzia Fides)