The Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam, EU Member State Embassies in Vietnam and the Embassies of Canada, Norway and the UK in Vietnam are very concerned at the harsh sentence handed down by the Hanoi People's Court on 30 October 2024 to Vietnamese blogger Mr. Duong Van Thai of 12 years in prison and 3 years probation “for producing, storing, spreading or disseminating information, documents or objects aiming to oppose the State” (art. 117, Penal Code 2015).

We regret that Vietnam did not respond to trial observation requests submitted by the EU Delegation, EU Member States and other diplomatic missions accredited in Hanoi.

Reports alleging that Mr Thai  was abducted in Thailand, where he was registered as a refugee by the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) while awaiting resettlement to a third country, are also very disturbing.

We recall that Vietnam, as party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights since 1982, is obliged to respect, protect and fulfil the right to freedom of opinion and expression.