--- Hi Declan, I'm forwarding an update on a recent development re. journalist and other cyber-dissidents. Pls. remove my e-mail address if you're sharing w/ other politech reader. Thanks. Tuyet ------------------------------------------ > Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) has written to the > Vietnamese government requesting the release on > ill-health grounds of a journalist arrested in > November for publishing critical material on the web. > > Le Chi Quang was sentenced to four years in jail, > followed by three years of house arrest, for > 'opposing the socialist republic of Viet Nam', under > Article 88 of the country's penal code. > > However, at his trial he appeared to be ill. His > family claim he has kidney problems which prison > officials have refused to treat. > > RSF Secretary General, Robert Ménard, said in his > letter to Justice Minister Uong Chu Luu: "Even if > your government persists in abusing the basic rights > of its citizens, we appeal to you to free Le Chi > Quang because he is seriously ill." > > Ménard noted that Le Chi Quang had simply been > exercising his right to free expression, as > guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil > and Political Rights, which Vietnam has ratified. > > Quang was given no right to a defense during his > trial, which only lasted three hours. Foreign > reporters were barred from the courtroom. Only his > relatives were allowed to be present. His mother > said he had admitted the facts of the case but > rejected the accusations against him. She said an > appeal would be filed against the verdict. Nearly > 100 people, including dissidents, gathered outside > the courthouse in protest and one of them was > reportedly arrested. > > Two other cyber-dissidents are imprisoned in > Viet Nam. Pham Hong Son was arrested in March for > translating and posting an article on the Internet > entitled 'What is Democracy?' Nguyen Vu Binh, who > wrote for the magazine Tap Chi Cong San, was also > arrested in September for posting other 'offensive' > material on the web. > Sources: http://www.indexonline.org/indexindex/20021111_vietnam.shtml http://www.ifex.org/alerts/view.html?id=11516 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like Politech? Make a donation here: http://www.politechbot.com/donate/ Recent CNET News.com articles: http://news.search.com/search?q\clan -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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