Vu appeared to operate independently of any political groups and organizations. While openly expressing his support for a multi-party system, he has apparently never attempted to form any political parties, associations, or clubs. Many of his lawsuits and denunciations of important figures in the government were sent to government offices and agencies before they were published online. Vu appeared to be acting as a single, courageous citizen, making authorities more hesitant to retaliate and appear to be persecuting him. The indictment does not mention the two lawsuits against the prime minister, even though they were listed on the inventory of Dr.
By moving against Dr. Vu, the authorities may have been seeking to make him a less sympathetic figure. Vu has not been formally charged with any offence related to being found in a hotel room with a woman who was not his wife. The government seriously miscalculated if it thought that portraying Dr. Vu as an adulterer and thug would dampen public interest and sympathy. They began to post comments and even marriage certificates on forums, chat rooms, and the social network Facebook, begging police not to arrest them.
Ho Le Nhu Quynh contacted Dr. Not only has treatment of Dr. Pressured by multiple requests from his family, authorities granted five lawyers permission to defend Dr. Vu, and allowed them access to the defendant in detention. In addition, at the request of Dr. First, authorities ignored multiple requests from lawyer Nguyen Thi Duong Ha regarding procedural violations committed during Dr.
In addition, authorities have been clumsy in dealing with the growing support for Dr. On March 20 and 21, , anonymous supporters sent bouquets of flowers to the Cu Huy Ha Vu Law Firm, expressing solidarity with his family. During the three weeks before the trial, Vietnam witnessed an outpouring of popular support for Dr.
Catholic churches in Hanoi and Nam Dinh held vigils attended by thousands of people praying for his freedom. Unprecedented numbers of Vietnamese attended prayer vigils in Hanoi and Nam Dinh in support of Dr Vu before his trial. In Hanoi, more than 5, people joined candlelight prayer vigils on April 2 and 3 for Dr. Show above is a vigil at Thai Ha on Sunday, April 3, Some of Vietnam's most popular in-country bloggers urged people to go to court on the day of the trial or to take a day off work in protest.
Wind Merchant's blog provided a detailed map of the area around the court, showing where to park motorbikes and bicycles and the location of nearby public bathrooms. Other bloggers posted suggestions about how protesters should respond to police harassment. The trial of Dr. Vu started at 8: Although state media reported that the trial of Dr.
Police and civil defense forces cordoned off the area surrounding the court. Nevertheless, hundreds of people gathered at different intersections and street corners nearby and attempted to approach the court. Police disperse supporters of Dr. At the beginning of the trial, Dr. Vu requested that the trial panel [75] be replaced due to a conflict of interest.
Vu requested that the court replace Vu Dang Hieu, one of the two procurators, on grounds of conflict of interest. Vu, he had denounced this procurator in in a separate case. During the trial, the four defense lawyers requested that the court make public the ten documents cited in the indictment as evidence against Dr.
Vu had acknowledged that those 10 documents were his, and that Dr. Vu had signed on those documents. When defense lawyer Tran Vu Hai continued to insist that the court provide the ten documents, Judge Nguyen Huu Chinh ordered him to be ejected from the court by the police. The three other defense lawyers —Tran Dinh Trien, Ha Huy Son, and Vuong Thi Thanh —continued to request that the judge act in accordance with article and release the ten documents to the defense.
When the judge rejected their requests, they walked out of the trial in protest. The indictment claimed one of the 10 documents was an interview Dr. Vu did with Radio Free Asia on August 31, , in which he called for genuine reconciliation with members of the government of the former Republic of Vietnam. However, the quote cited in the indictment was not from the RFA interview, but from a petition that Dr.
Vu had sent the National Assembly on August 30, His sister argued that, according to the law, citizens have the right to submit complaints and petitions to the National Assembly, and thus the content of this petition could not be used as evidence against him. Ultimately, the court ruled that Dr. Vu was guilty of violating article 88 of the penal code for propagandizing against the state of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
He was sentenced to seven years in prison, to be followed by another three years on probation after his release. On April 21, state media reported that Dr. Vu had filed an appeal against the verdict issued on April 4.
Cù Huy Hà Vũ - Wikipedia
As of this writing, the authorities have not permitted his family to see him since the trial. Vu have backfired, and helped to create an unprecedented movement of popular support for him that continues to grow online, as well as in large numbers of people gathering for peaceful vigils to show their solidarity.
The vigorous defense that his family launched has kept the government off-guard and contributed to public sympathy for Dr.
More remarkable still is the exceptional array of public support that Dr. Vu has attracted from disparate opposition groups that rarely address issues of common concern. Catholic support for him is especially notable in this regard. Vu is not a Catholic and Catholic churches in Vietnam do not usually expend their limited political resources on issues that do not directly affect their own communities. Other prominent supporters of Dr. Vu include moderate technocrats and academics affiliated with the Bauxite Vietnam , local groups of land rights activists, and the dedicated political dissidents of pro-democracy group Bloc But it also owes something to the rapid spread of information about the case on the internet, spearheaded by a barely visible army of bloggers, citizen-journalists, and Facebook devotees.
Indeed, the ground swell of energy created by the case must be understood as an important byproduct of the gradual development in Vietnam in recent years of a nascent legal culture independent of the communist state, and the spontaneous, uncoordinated growth of a dynamic o nline civil society. The Vietnamese government is violating its obligations under international law by arresting, prosecuting, and sentencing Dr. Human Rights Watch calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Cu Huy Ha Vu. This report was researched and written by Asia division staff from Human Rights Watch.
The report was edited by Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director; Dinah PoKempner, general counsel; and Danielle Haas, senior editor in the program office. Production assistance was provided by Jake Scobey-Thal, associate in the Asia division; Kathy Mills, publications coordinator; Anna Lopriore, photo editor; and Fitzroy Hepkins, production manager. On October 21, , the Department of Information and Communications of Hanoi sent an official correspondence to the Hanoi Municipal Department of Public Security, requesting to conduct an investigation to follow up on findings that an individual self-claimed to be Cu Huy Ha Vu had given interviews on the Internet, whose contents called for the elimination of the leading role of the Vietnamese Communist Party, the removal of Article 4 of the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and a multi-party, plural political system; and which distorted the course of resistance by the Vietnamese people against the invading US imperialists.
The ward public security officers took both subjects to the station for further clarification. Public Security officers of Ward 11 reported and transferred the whole case file to the Security Investigation Agency of the Ministry of Public Security for processing. As for the given interviews, the foreign-based reporters contacted Vu by phone and informed him of the queries so that Vu could prepare his response in advance, then the interview was conducted.
After that, Vu re-typed the content of the interviews and saved them on his laptop. As for other essays and interviews by Cu Huy Ha Vu that have content that violates the interests of the state and citizens, the Security Investigation Agency of Hanoi Municipal Department of Public Security has set those aside for later investigation and handling. At present the accused is being detained at B14 detention center of the Ministry of Public Security.
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The aforementioned acts of Cu Huy Ha Vu have committed the crime of propagandizing against the state of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The crime description and punishment are stipulated in Article 88, section 1, point c of the Penal Code. The crime of propagandizing against the state of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Those who commit one of the following acts which aim to oppose the state of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam shall be punished with imprisonment from three to twelve years:.
Produce, possess, or circulate documents and publications with content opposing the state of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Propagandizing against the state of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in pursuance to Article 88, section 1, point c of the Penal Code. The exhibits in this case include: The declarant pledges that his statements are true and takes full legal responsibility for his statements. I, Cu Huy Ha Vu, Doctor of Law, request my defense attorneys and legal representatives to convey the following content to the website Bauxite Vietnam, the public media, the electronic news websites at home and abroad:.
Such views could be summarized as follows:. On the occasion of the New Year of Tan Mao [the year of the Cat], as a patriotic Vietnamese, I cordially wish all of my compatriots a healthy, peaceful and prosperous new year! I also ask all compatriots to convey my best wishes to the individuals and organizations who have supported me in the struggle for justice and democracy in Vietnam on the occasion of the New Year in the second decade of the third millennium. These minutes were completed at He has been indicted under article 88 of the Penal Code. This article has been metaphorically referred to as two eight-shaped handcuffs used to imprison countless numbers of patriots.
On that date, the Procuracy, acting as the prosecutor at the trial, will continue to produce unconstitutional arguments to convict Dr. Vu in the same manner as many similar cases in the past. Other lawyers have extensively discussed the legal acts and defense statements; therefore I am writing this statement not to go deeper into academic discussion, but in essence to express my respect for brother Vu, whom I believe should never have been called a criminal in the past, present, or future.
I believe that those like brother Vu should never be tried under criminal law. On the contrary, the state should be grateful for his concerns about the homeland and the nation. The voice of appreciation could spread from the coastal area occupied by a debt-ridden Vinashin to the Central Highlands where the bauxite disaster is waiting to strike; from the North where elderly mothers toil in back-breaking jobs to pay the taxes, to the South where war invalids are being spitefully discriminated against.
I consider the arrest of Vu a reactionary and unprofessional act. Furthermore, the arrest created the widespread perception that personal and petty revenge was at play, which harms the very reputations of the leaders in power. He acted and spoke according to his professional forte. Similarly, the late lawyer Phan Van Truong decided to return to Vietnam because of his patriotism, but when he found disgraceful practices he became outspoken, despite being aware that doing so would cause frictions and troubles to himself.
It is that simple. His outspokenness is spectacular and sincere. It is not only that. Before and after the trial, students walked out of class and merchants abandoned markets to express their support for the elder Phan and protest against the verdict. I would also like to inform reporters who are reporting on the upcoming trial that during the Phan Boi Chau case, when the Communist Party had not yet been founded, contemporary newspapers exuberantly reported on the case, providing various perspectives, and creating a heated political debate in both the academic and patriotic spheres.
If we were to have freedom of press today, the case would see many boisterous and creative debates, essays, news articles, and live reportage. Technically speaking, brother Vu did not conduct any specific act that could be considered as propagandizing against the state. He simply criticized the government - any strong government is improved through criticism of its weaknesses. The act of trying brother Vu is clearly unconstitutional. Just like Vu, many lawyers have been arrested and imprisoned on political charges. Because just like him, we all believe that law was made for people to follow in every act.
Law is the foundation, the boundary line, the foundational column and the hamstring to keep us in order. As lawyers, we believe that the prime minister is also a citizen like all others under law, and we have the right to sue him. We believe that the state is truly serious in the fight against corruption, hence lawyers spend time and effort to look for evidence and initiate activities for the common goal, but end up being arrested. Many lawyers, just like brother Vu, because of their patriotism and enthusiasm to devote to the common cause, have registered as candidates for the election, thrown themselves into the dirt of life, suffered from countless burdens to build the fatherland with sincerity.
But punishment is the outcome. As such, it is impossible to try him without proving that his acts caused harm to national security, which must be quantified. It is impossible to charge someone with stealing if no one lost anything. On the contrary, it is necessary to conduct an urgent investigation into the arrest of Vu, whether such an act caused any harm to national security? Lastly, it is clear that this verdict is not for Vu as an individual, but a common verdict for all compatriots and for the entire nation of Vietnam.
However, regardless of the verdict, in the history of our Vietnamese nation he is always the innocent Vu — or V, which stands for Vietnam and Victory! Cu Huy Ha Vu does not have any other ideology than this one: This is expressed in my three following points of view:. I am a normal person, made of flesh and bone, not of stone or iron. I have a sweet home with my loved ones who I care for and do not wish to be separated from. But I will hold my head high and maintain my views for the interest of the country and the people, no matter how brutal the repression and revenge is, so that I will not shame the patriotic tradition of my family.
Skip to main content. Introduction The arrest and detention of Dr. At midnight on November 4, , during a routine administrative check, the police of Ward 11 District 6 discovered a couple in Room of the Mach Lam hotel. The contents of the room included a small suitcase, a laptop, and personal clothes and belongings. In the trash bin police found two used condoms the Public Security office has proposed to have the contents of the condoms examined. The police officers produced a report, witnessed and signed by the owner of the hotel; however, only Ho Le Nhu Quynh signed the document.
Cu Huy Ha Vu protested and refused to sign. Vu appeared uncooperative and threatened to assault members of the inspection team. After finishing the procedures to record the administrative violations that occurred at the hotel, the ward police took the two subjects to the police station to work with them, but both refused to provide information. The police office is currently investigating the case. A Legal Activist Dr. Use of the Internet in the Case The internet has played a crucial role in Dr. On October 21, , the Department of Information and Communications of Hanoi sent an official letter to the Hanoi Municipal Department of Public Security, requesting to conduct an investigation to follow up on findings that an individual self-claimed to be Cu Huy Ha Vu had given interviews on the internet, whose contents called for the elimination of the leading role of the Vietnamese Communist Party, the removal of Article 4 of the constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and a multi-party, plural political system; and which distorted the course of resistance by the Vietnamese people against the invading US imperialists.
Two interviews with Radio Free Asia: S based author Nguyen Thanh Ty. Circulating Information in Dr. The Official Responses to Dr.
Vietnam activist Cu Huy Ha Vu jailed after Hanoi trial
Vu has hardened over time. The April 4 Trial During the three weeks before the trial, Vietnam witnessed an outpouring of popular support for Dr. B Nguyen Huu Vinh Some of Vietnam's most popular in-country bloggers urged people to go to court on the day of the trial or to take a day off work in protest.
Procedural Violations at the Trial At the beginning of the trial, Dr. Acknowledgements This report was researched and written by Asia division staff from Human Rights Watch. Key Figures Family Members Dr. Cu Thi Xuan Bich, Dr. Cu Huy Thuoc, senior party member, Dr. Cu Huy Chu, senior party member, Dr. Tran Dinh Trien is considered by many to be a rising star in the legal field as a defense lawyer for politically sensitive cases.
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Ho Le Nhu Quynh, the woman with Dr. Vu when he was arrested on November 5, Bauxite Vietnam , a controversial in-country website devoted to environmental and social issues, especially the mining of bauxite in the Central Highlands and the alleged criminal mismanagement of the state-owned Vinashin Corporation. Radio Free Asia—Vietnamese Service. Voice of America—Vietnamese Service. British Broadcasting Corporation —Vietnamese Service. Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh a. Mother Mushroom , an independent blogger based in Nha Trang. Bui Thanh Hieu a.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. Chronology of Events Timeline of Dr. October 27, — Dr. Vu is interviewedby journalist Nguyen Thi Tram Oanh [92] of Vietnam Exodus about the outcome of the trial of the 6 Catholic villagers from Con Dau Parish who were charged for causing public disorder.
October 25, - Dr. Cu Huy Ha Vu: October 21, — Dr. October 14, - Dr. October 7, — Dr. September 6, — Dr. Duong Thi Kinh for a business development project. Vu regarding the petition [] to grant amnesty to all former officials of the Republic of Vietnam that he sent to the National Assembly the day before. Vuinterview with Voice of America Vietnamese Service. June 1, — Dr. Vu calls for the prosecution of Lt.
Vu Hai Trieu of the Ministry of Public Security for allegedly directing cyber-attacks against politically sensitive websites. Vu, in which he requests an official response from Lt. Vu Hai Trieu had directed cyber-attacks against politically sensitive websites. Vu by Voice of America Vietnamese Service. March 23, — Article by Dr. January 18, — Article by Dr. October 13, — Article by Dr. Vu by Radio Free Asia. August 1, — Article by Dr. Police Tran Van Thanh to Trial: Chanh an Toa Da Nang lap ky luc vi pham nhan quyen.
Originally published on Bauxite Vietnam. July 3, — Dr. June 26, — Article by Dr. June 11, — Dr. April 3, — Dr. Vu nominates himself for the National Assembly, but he is eliminated from consideration by the party caucus at the neighborhood to dan pho level. May 8, — Dr. Vu files an application to nominate himself for the position of minister of culture. May 19, — Dr. Timeline of Events Prior to Dr. March 31, — Foreign Ministry official announces that only two foreign journalists [] will be allowed to attend the trial of Dr.
Vu on April 4. The suit was dismissed by the court. Vu also called in interviews for the revision of Article 4 of the Constitution of Vietnam , which states that the Communist Party is the only legal political party. However, the firm was denied permission to represent the defendants by the Cam Le district People's Court.
Foreign media was banned from the courtroom, though some reporters were allowed to watch the proceedings via closed-circuit television. This case is completely illegal. His writings and interviews blackened directly or indirectly the Communist Party of Vietnam". Vu was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment.
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Son's wife Vu Thu Ha stated that Son had been assaulted by police with batons prior to his arrest. Human Rights Watch described the trial as "one of the most important cases involving a political dissident in the recent history of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam". The government makes a mockery of its international human rights obligations when it persecutes activists like Dr. Vu who try to use the legal system to demand official accountability and rule of law". Vu must be freed without delay.
The sentence was upheld by an appeals court in Hanoi on 2 August. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. In this Vietnamese name , the family name is Cu.
According to Vietnamese custom, this person should properly be referred to by the given name Vu. Retrieved 19 June Retrieved 13 July