By Solomon Alaka | Based on reporting by Jurist and Human Rights Watch
Vietnamese authorities have leveled new charges against jailed human rights activist Trinh Ba Phuong, intensifying what rights observers describe as a sweeping and systematic crackdown on peaceful dissent.
Currently serving a 10-year sentence under Article 117 of Vietnam’s penal code—commonly used to silence government critics—Phuong is now accused of creating protest signs while in detention. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), one of the signs read: “Down with the Communist [Party of] Vietnam for violating human rights.” The activist is reportedly being held incommunicado, a tactic HRW says violates international human rights norms.
“These new allegations illustrate the extreme lengths Vietnamese authorities are willing to go to stifle free expression—even behind prison walls,” said Patricia Gossman, Associate Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, in a statement released on May 10, 2025. “Trinh Ba Phuong is already behind bars for peacefully expressing his views.”
Phuong, a long-time advocate for land rights, environmental justice, and government accountability, has been a prominent figure in Vietnam’s small but resilient civil society. His activism has come at a significant personal cost: both his mother, Can Thi Theu, and brother, Trinh Ba Tu, are serving eight-year sentences under similar charges. Other family members have reportedly faced harassment and interrogation.
The latest charges against Phuong come amid a broader clampdown on expression in Vietnam, as documented in a May 2025 Human Rights Watch report. The report highlights increasing use of Article 331 of the penal code, which criminalizes the so-called “abuse of democratic freedoms.” Between 2018 and 2024, over 124 people were convicted under this article—a fourfold increase compared to the previous six years.
In another high-profile case, lawyer Tran Dinh Trien was prosecuted in early 2025 over Facebook posts criticizing Vietnam’s judiciary. His public concerns about trial fairness led to charges of “infringing upon state interests”—a move widely condemned by rights organizations and UN bodies as a violation of basic legal commentary rights.
Although Vietnam has held a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council since 2023, critics argue that the country continues to sideline civil society voices and violate its commitments under international human rights agreements. HRW has called on Vietnam’s international trade and diplomatic partners to apply pressure for the release of prisoners of conscience like Trinh Ba Phuong.
“Vietnam’s global partners must break their silence,” said Gossman in the HRW press release. “They should publicly demand the release of Phuong and other peaceful critics, and hold Vietnam accountable for its international obligations.”
🗒️ References:
- Human Rights Watch (May 2025): Vietnam: New Charges for Jailed Rights Activist
- Jurist (May 2025): Article by Kareem Assaf, Nottingham Law School
- UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): Vietnam’s obligations under the ICCPR and other human rights treaties
- Vietnam Penal Code Articles 117 and 331: Vietnamese Government Portal (in Vietnamese)
