Report: Vietnam’s Inhumane Treatments in Prison
Our new report focuses on incidents of torture and other inhumane treatment of prisoners detained under national security provisions, i.e. political prisoners, by the Vietnamese government. In addition to documented cases of torture, we highlight examples of cases in which the denial of legal safeguards facilitates the use of torture.
We describe cases in which political prisoners are subject to:
- Prolonged incommunicado pre-trial detention
- Denial of legal representation and unfair trials
- Denial of adequate medical treatment
- Harsh physical and administrative conditions in prison
- Denial of family visits/punitive transfers
- Infliction of physical and psychological pain
- Solitary confinement
In focusing on the absolute right of freedom from torture and ill-treatment, and with the leverage that results from Vietnam’s recent ratification of UNCAT, we aim to highlight the harsh conditions imposed upon political prisoners and push the Vietnamese government to:
- Implement concrete actions that have clearly been stated in the Committee Against Torture’s Concluding Observations in the Initial Report of Viet Nam (December 2018)
- Implement relevant UPR recommendations Vietnam accepted in 2019
- Observe the CCPR General Comments No. 20 which lays out specific recommendations for State members to implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
- Accept visits by the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, as well as visits by State members’ consular representatives to conduct investigations of prison conditions in multiple localities.
Read the full report here.
© 2020 The 88 Project
