Profile

Nguyen Dinh Khue

Current Status: Likely released - at risk

Photo of Nguyen Dinh Khue

Other Names: Nguyễn Đình Khuê, Ngài Nam Tước (Facebook nickname)

Date of Birth: December 3, 1978

Gender: M

Religion: Christian (Catholic)

Ethnicity: Kinh

Occupation: Factory worker

Last Known Prison: Prison No. B5, Dong Nai province

Areas of Activism:

  • Human rights
  • Sovereignty

Details

Immediate Concerns

November 2019:

Six activists were sentenced to a combined 25 years in prison on November 26 in three separate trials. Those activists are Pham Van Diep from Thanh Hoa Province, Nguyen Chi Vung from Bac Lieu Province, and a group of four from Dong Nai Province – Vo Thuong Trung, Doan Viet Hoan, Ngo Xuan Thanh, and Nguyen Dinh Khue. 

Trung, Hoan, Thanh, and Khue were sentenced to up to three years in prison each under Article 118 for “disrupting security," accused of plotting an attack with explosives. However, according to lawyer Nguyen Van Mieng, the court could not provide evidence to prove that they were planning to use explosive materials since police failed to find any material to make explosive devices and confiscated their phones instead. Mieng also claimed that the four defendants only wanted to protest against a price hike in electricity and gas, as well as against the bill on Special Economic Zones, with the fear that Vietnam would be dependent on Chinese investment. All six bloggers and activists were merely exercising their human rights, which are protected by both domestic law and international treaties.

Background

Nguyen Dinh Khue is a worker at Teakwang Company, Bien Hoa 2 Industrial Zone, Dong Nai province.

Profile photo source: Facebook Ngài Nam Tước

Family Situation

He is married and has two small children.

Sentenced to 2 years 4 months in prison under Art. 118 (2015 Code). Expected Release is August 25, 2021.

April 25, 2019
  • Art. 118 (2015 Code)
Dong Nai province public security, Dong Nai province
His private house in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai province (map)
November 26, 2019 - Date of trial
The People’s Court of Dong Nai Province
Nguyen Van Mieng
2 years 4 months in prison
August 25, 2021
Details of Imprisonment

During the crackdown on the occasion of Vietnam’s Reunification Day on April 30, Nguyen Dinh Khue, or Facebooker Ngai Nam Tuoc, was arrested. On the same day, two others, including Las Plagas and Vy Bui, who live near Nguyen Dinh Khue in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai province, were also in the same situation.

According to Facebooker Pham Ngoc, who first shared their news on Facebook, the three Facebookers often post and share articles on the current national issues and criticize the government on Facebook. They were accused of calling for a demonstration for civil rights and were all arrested on April 25, 2019.

A group of 20 to 30 security officers stormed into Khue's house and announced they had a search order. They confiscated his phone and iPad before bring him to B5 Detention Center.

On May 6, 2019, the Investigation Security Agency of Dong Nai Province released an announcement on his contemporary detention. Khue was accused of “contacting, debating with Doan Viet Hoan and others on carrying out a demonstration, causing explosion to against the people’s administration under the command of 'Lisa Nguyen' from overseas” and contemporarily detained under Article 118 of the 2015 Penal Code. Khue could face a conviction from six months to 15 years in prison under this accusation.

November 2019:

On November 26, 2019, the People’s Court of Dong Nai Province sentenced Vo Thuong Trung and Doan Viet Hoan to three years in prison, while Ngo Xuan Thanh and Nguyen Dinh Khue each received a 28-month conviction. All were charged under Article 118 of the 2015 Criminal Code for “disturbing security.” According to the indictment, they were accused of reading articles with anti-regime content on the Internet and planning demonstrations with various methods, including preparing explosions to go off on April 28, 2019. In the plan, Hoan was said to be a leader for a peaceful demonstration, with the duty of creating a “demonstration plan” and uploading 12 videos, with instructions on causing explosions, to social media. Trung was allegedly responsible for buying explosive chemicals, and along with Khue, finding a location for explosions. Thanh, with his knowledge of causing explosions, was allegedly in charge of gathering people for their so-called disruption plan. 

However, according to Khue’s defense counsel, lawyer Nguyen Van Mieng, the court could not provide evidence to prove that they were planning to use explosive materials since police failed to find any material to make explosive devices and confiscated their phones instead. Mieng also claimed that four defendants only wanted to protest against a price hike in electricity and gas, as well as against the bill on Special Economic Zones, with the fear that Vietnam would be dependent on Chinese investment. Lawyer Mieng asserts that beside messages and their online communication concerning the demonstration, no evidence about the alleged bombing could be found. He notes that the men were arrested on April 25, only three days before the scheduled crime. If they had intended to do anything with bombing and destroying properties, the public security force would have at least found some evidence such as wire, explosive materials, and related devices. The fact that they could find nothing means that the accusation is very weak, if not unfounded.

All six bloggers and activists were merely exercising their human rights, which are protected by both domestic law and international treaties.

Resources

Thêm 3 facebooker bị bắt vì kêu gọi biểu tình, giam giữ ở Đồng Nai, Saigon Broadcasting Televison Network, May 3, 2019

Công dân Nguyễn Đình Khuê bị bắt trái pháp luật, bị cáo buộc với tội danh nghiêm trọng, Vietnam Human Rights Defenders, May 15, 2019

Bị bắt vì ‘chuẩn bị tham gia biểu tình’, Radio Free Asia, May 15, 2019

Six Activists Sentenced to a Combined 25 Years in Prison in One Day Ahead of Vietnam Communist Party’s National Congress, The 88 Project, November 28, 2019

Vietnam Jails Six Bloggers, Activists in One-day Sweep Across the Country, Radio Free Asia, November 26, 2019

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Profile last updated: 2024-06-13 20:34:05

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