Incident Group: Crackdown on Brotherhood for Democracy since 2015

The Brotherhood for Democracy has been one of the most persecuted political groups in Vietnam, beginning in 2015. Founded in 2013 as an association of activists and human rights defenders formerly imprisoned for their political beliefs, the group’s objective is to provide training on human rights topics and assist victims of rights infringement by Vietnamese authorities. Until now, ten leading members of Brotherhood for Democracy have received lengthy sentences for practicing basic rights recognized by the Vietnamese Constitution. Charges against them include advocating for the establishment of a free market economy and a democratic government, calling on international organizations to speak out against human rights violations, and giving legal support to dispossessed farmers and victims of the Formosa pollution disaster.