Hanoi - The European Union Friday urged Vietnam to release democracy activists jailed in a crackdown that began early this year, including two human rights lawyers whose appeals were rejected by a Hanoi court this week. The EU's Hanoi office called on the Vietnamese government "to release Mr Nguyen Van Dai and Ms Le Thi Cong Nhan and the other non-violent political activists who have simply exercised their rights to freedom of expression and association," which are guaranteed by the country's constitution.
Dai and Nhan were convicted in May of having violated Article 88 of Vietnam's legal code, which bars "spreading propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam," after they held a series of workshops on international human rights law.
On Tuesday, the Hanoi People's Court rejected defense lawyers' arguments that Article 88 was unconstitutional, but reduced Dai and Nhan's sentences by one year each, to four and three years respectively.
The EU said it was also "deeply concerned about the recent arrests of non-violent political activists, including one EU citizen."
On November 17, six democracy activists were arrested in Ho Chi Minh City while discussing strategies for nonviolent political change.
The arrestees include journalist Nguyen Thi Thanh Van, a French citizen, as well as two Vietnamese-born US citizens and one Thai citizen. None have been allowed to contact their consulates.
