(UN GENEVA, Switzerland) The UN Human Rights Office spokesperson, Jeremy Laurence, has voiced deep concerns regarding the arrest, detention, and sentencing of environmental human rights defenders in Vietnam. Laurence stressed that these concerns encompass both the charges they face and the fairness of their trials.
During a recent press briefing, Laurence said, “Yesterday, Hoang Thi Minh Hong became the fifth of six environmental human rights defenders arrested from 2021 to 2023 to be sentenced. She has been prosecuted on tax evasion charges, which appear to be politically motivated, according to UN independent experts,” he said.
After a trial lasting just three hours, Hong was sentenced to three years imprisonment and fined USD 4,100.
Her access to a defense counsel and her family has been limited throughout her detention.
Similar charges have been brought against four other environmental advocates, with sentences of up to five years, reflecting a broader crackdown on environmental and civil rights in Vietnam. The charges against the sixth individual remain undisclosed.
“Arrests of environmental human rights defenders are taking place amid Viet Nam’s implementation of the Just Energy Transition Partnership. We reiterate that to achieve the goal of a just and sustainable transition to green energy, human rights defenders and environmental organizations must be able to participate freely and actively in shaping climate and environmental policies and decision-making,” Laurence said.
The spokesperson noted that these prosecutions and the misuse of restrictive laws are inhibiting the crucial work of environmental defenders and human rights advocates in Vietnam.
This issue has also been acknowledged in the 2023 Secretary General’s report on intimidation and reprisals and by various UN Human Rights Mechanisms.
“We call to the Government of Viet Nam to refrain from using criminal charges to curtail the exercise of fundamental freedoms and to release unconditionally all those who have been detained in such cases. We also remind the authorities of their obligations under international law to respect the rule of law, the right to a fair trial, and ensuring judicial independence,” Laurence stressed.
UNITED NATIONS NEWS
