The EU Delegation, EU Member States, and the embassies of Canada, Norway, and the UK in Vietnam condemn the 12-year prison sentence for Vietnamese blogger Duong Van Thai.
On October 30, 2024, Hanoi’s People’s Court convicted Thai under Article 117 of the Penal Code for spreading anti-state content. Thai had been posting videos on YouTube, where he often commented on politics. Recently, he criticized Vietnam’s industrial policies, its finance minister, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Diplomats also criticize Vietnam’s refusal to allow trial observers. They are concerned by reports that Thai was abducted from Thailand, where he was registered as a UN refugee. The statement urges Vietnam to respect its commitment to free expression under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
