9 Mar
2020
9 Mar
'20
11:33 a.m.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 9, 2020
Contact: Rohit Mahajan | 202.530.4976 | mahajanr(a)rfa.org
<mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org>
Radio Free Asia Condemns Conviction of Vietnamese Blogger and RFA
Contributor Truong Duy Nhat
WASHINGTON - Radio Free Asia's President Bay Fang issued the following
statement today in response to the conviction and sentencing of Truong Duy
Nhat, a blogger who contributed to Radio Free Asia's Vietnamese Service,
prior to his detention early last year.
"Radio Free Asia categorically condemns the unjust conviction of Truong
Duy Nhat," Fang said. "This deplorable act by Vietnamese authorities
delivers another blow against free speech and free expression.
"This miscarriage of justice only reinforces RFA's mission to provide the
people of Vietnam with uncensored perspectives, and accurate news and
information."
The Hanoi People's Court convicted Nhat for "abusing his position
<https://www.rfa.org/english/news/vietnam/charges-07252019152437.html>
and authority while on duty" over alleged fraud involving state property
while serving as bureau chief at a newspaper in Danang city between
2003-2004. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. His lawyer says he will
appeal. Nhat, whose journalism had gotten him into trouble with Vietnamese
authorities in the past, was abducted in January 2019 in Thailand after
applying for asylum and brought back to Vietnam by force against his will.
Two months later, RFA confirmed
<https://www.rfa.org/english/news/vietnam/blogger-hanoi-03202019175732.htm
l> he was being held at T16 prison in Hanoi. In November 2019, Nhat's
lawyer was convicted
<https://www.rfa.org/english/news/vietnam/sentenced-11152019155826.html>
for tax evasion, a charge that critics believed was linked to willingness
to represent him. Nhat is an established writer and journalist, well-known
before contributing to RFA. He was jailed in Vietnam from 2013 to 2015 for
his writings critical of the government.
# # #
Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and
publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian
languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media.
RFA's broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and
expression, including the freedom to "seek, receive, and impart
information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." RFA
is funded by an annual grant from the United States Agency for Global
Media.
Rohit Mahajan | Radio Free Asia | Vice President of Communications &
External Relations
<mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org | O: 202.530.4976 | M:
202.489.8021
