Ho Van Hai
Current Status: Released - at risk
Other Names: Hồ Văn Hải, Hồ Hải
Date of Birth: 1964
Gender: M
Ethnicity: Kinh
Occupation: Blogger, Medical professional
Areas of Activism:
- Environment
Highlighted Human Rights Concerns:
- Former Political Prisoner
- Online commentator
Hai was released early from prison on April 17, 2020. The reason for the early release is unknown.
February 2018:
On February 1, in a secret trial that was unknown to other activists, Dr. Ho Van Hai was sentenced to four years in prison and two years of probation in Ho Chi Minh City. He was tried under Article 88 for posting online content and rallying support for an election boycott and protests of Formosa following the 2016 environmental disaster. Hai had been in pre-trial detention since November 2016.
Details - Background, History of Activism.
Ho Van Hai is a medical doctor known by his social media name "Ho Hai."
Ho Van Hai has posted on social media about corruption and the 2016 Formosa enviornmental disaster.
Update on Blogger Ho Van Hai, December 24, 2017, The 88 Project
Blogger arrested as government targets environmental critics, Vietnam Right Now, November 3, 2016
Viet Nam: Crackdown on Human Rights Amidst Formosa Related Activism, Amnesty International, November 8, 2016
Vietnam doctor jailed for 'anti-state' posts, Yahoo (AFP News), February 2, 2018
Arrested November 2, 2016. Sentenced to 4 years in prison under Art. 331 (2015 Code), Art. 88 (1999 Code). Released April 17, 2020.
February 1, 2018
4 years in prison
November 2, 2020
April 17, 2020
UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
Blogger Ho Hai was arrested on November 2, 2016 in Ho Chi Minh City under Article 88.
December 2017:
Over a year after being arrested, there is a new update on the situation of blogger Ho Van Hai (a.k.a. Dr. Ho Hai) in prison. He was transferred in early December to a new, harsher prison facility, which is taking a toll on his health. He is not receiving proper amounts of food or medication. Little information can be found regarding the status of his pre-trial investigation.
December 2017:
Blogger Ho Van Hai (a.k.a Doctor Ho Hai) was transferred from Phan Dang Luu detention center to Chi Hoa prison in early December. The transfer occurred suddenly, and unable to take his belongings, Dr. Ho Hai has had to sleep on the tiled floor without a mat for the past three weeks. The detention condition at Chi Hoa is harsher and more depriving, so Dr. Ho Hai’s health has deteriorated rapidly. He’s thinner and gaunter than before. In addition, the new prison strictly restricts the provision of supplies by the family, so he does not receive enough food and necessary medication.
February 2021:
The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the UN Human Rights Council has issued its formal decision on the case of Ho Van Hai after Vietnam finally responded to the inquiry in October of last year. The Working Group rejects the government’s assertion that Hai’s arrest and subsequent trial were legal. It concludes that Vietnam has violated multiple articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It gives Vietnam six months to rectify the situation by compensating Hai with reparations. Furthermore, it demands that Vietnam bring its laws into accordance with international norms in regards to arbitrary detention and arrest.
Opinion from the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, February 2021
Profile last updated: 2021-03-14 22:12:15