Profile

Nguyen Dinh Thanh

Current Status: Sentenced to prison

Photo of Nguyen Dinh Thanh

Other Names: Nguyễn Đình Thành

Date of Birth: 1991

Gender: M

Ethnicity: Kinh

Occupation: Medical professional

Last Known Prison: Detention Center, Binh Duong Province

Areas of Activism:

  • Freedom of expression
  • Sovereignty

Details - Background, Family Situation.

Thanh is from Binh Duong Province. He graduated from Hanoi Medical University. He was working at the Medical Center of Thuan An Town, Binh Duong Province, prior to his arrest.

He lives with his mother and older brother. His mother worked as a cook’s assistant until June 8, the day that Thanh was arrested. Now she works at a mechanical store.

Arrested June 8, 2018. Sentenced to 7 years in prison under Art. 117 (2015 Code). Expected Release is June 8, 2025.

June 8, 2018
  • Art. 117 (2015 Code)
Binh Duong province public security, Binh Duong province
Binh Duong Province (map)
October 17, 2018
The People’s Court of Binh Duong Province
7 years in prison
June 8, 2025
  • freedom from arbitrary arrest or detention
  • liberty and security of the person
  • freedom of expression
  • freedom of peaceful assembly
  • fair trial
  • political participation

Thanh was arrested on June 8 by the police of Binh Duong province.

September 2018:

On September 30, Thanh was allowed to meet his mother at the detention center. He told her not to worry and to think he went away to school for a year.

He is currently held at the Detention Center of Binh Duong Province (Province Police).

October 2018:

On October 17, 2018, The People’s Court of Binh Duong Province held the first instance court hearing against Nguyen Dinh Thanh and sentenced him to seven years in prison for “making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the State of Socialist Republic of Vietnam” under Article 117 of the 2015 Penal Code. Thanh created and printed more than 3,300 leaflets, containing pictures and articles, for use to protest the draft law on Special Economic Zones. On June 8, he was arrested by the Investigation Agency of Binh Duong province while copying those documents. Authorities alleged he also posted anti-state content on his Facebook account.

At his first instance court hearing, Thanh did not have a chosen defense counsel, only a lawyer appointed by the court. His mother and brother were not allowed to come into the courtroom and could only watch the trial through a screen.

On November 2, the timeframe to appeal his sentence ended. However, according to Facebooker Nguyen Thien Nhan, Thanh had not written an appeal before that. On November 1, his mother came to the detention center to talk to him about appealing but was not allowed to see him. She could only send him items and will later be able to meet him on November 15.

Profile last updated: 2019-01-15 02:29:57

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