The amnesty of 8, prisoners includes "six prisoners sentenced for violating national security", presidential spokesman Nguyen Van Bich said yesterday. Father Ly was sentenced in October to 15 years in prison and to five years of house arrest after he served his jail term. He was convicted of state sabotage for sending a letter to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.
His sentence was reduced to 10 years in and then to five years last June, amid criticism of Hanoi's treatment of religious dissidents.
Que, an internet dissident and democracy advocate, was given a month jail term last July for "abusing his democratic rights". Last Friday, a diplomat said four dissidents on a European Union list of prisoners of conscience would be released.
Yesterday another source mentioned Truong Van Duc, a member of the Hoa Ha Buddhist sect who was sentenced to 12 years' jail in All are well-known critics of the communist government, which keeps an iron grip on the media and often stifles dissent with long prison sentences. Ba, 50, was originally sentenced to life imprisonment in March for "attempting to overthrow the people's government" but had his sentence reduced to 20 years.
Huy, 72, was arrested in with 11 other members of a political group and sentenced two years later to 15 years in prison. Donate now. Support AsiaNews. Geographical areas. Central Asia Kazakhstan. North Asia Mongolia. East Asia China.
