Vu Tran Anh Nguyen
Vũ Trần Anh Nguyen
Detainment Type: At risk
No image
Date of Birth: September 1, 1980
Gender: M
Ethnicity: Kinh
Occupation: NGO worker
Citizen: Y
Citizenship Status: Citizen (by birth, descent)
Human Rights Defender: Y
Details
In 2016, Nguyen joined the United Vietnam Party (UVP), a political party that works to promote democracy in Vietnam. In his role with the UVP, Nguyen helped raise money to send to families of political prisoners to keep them afloat. In addition, Nguyen engaged in pro-democracy and environmental advocacy. Finally, Nguyen and other party members opened a coffee shop, which was used by civil society organizations to host trainings and other events.
During this time, Nguyen met with diplomats and officials, including Pamela Pontius, Political Officer at the US Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, to advocate on behalf of political prisoners.
Resources:
Interview and information provided by Vu Tran Anh Nguyen on March 11, 2024.
November 17, 2023: detained for questioning for 12 hours
both judicial/extrajudicial
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
On November 17, 2023, Vu Tran Anh Nguyen was detained by eight police officers and questioned for 12 hours with no rest or food. The police confiscated Nguyen’s phone, laptop, and several other possessions. During the interrogation, Nguyen admitted he knew Nguyen Tien Trung, the founder of the United Vietnam Party (UVP), who earlier had served seven years’ imprisonment for his pro-democracy work.
The police reviewed Nguyen’s social media activity, and, because of posts he made that were critical of the government, accused him of creating ‘propaganda against the state’. In Vietnam, this charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.
The next day, facing an imminent threat of arrest, Nguyen fled to Thailand. However, he is not safe there. There is reason to believe that Vietnamese agents are attempting to locate and abduct Nguyen. On November 22, 2023, a man approached Nguyen and three of his UVP colleagues who also fled to Thailand, looked up photos of one of his colleagues, and asked for him by name in Vietnamese. Nguyen believes this man was a Vietnamese agent sent to find and identify Nguyen and his colleagues. The man made a phone call asking for backup and took a picture of the four UVP members. The four people, Nguyen included, immediately left their apartment and moved to a safe house.
After he fled the country, Nguyen’s wife and two children were under surveillance and periodically questioned by the police. On December 26, 2023, police officers threatened that, if Nguyen did not return to Vietnam, there would be severe consequences for the education of his children. They also threatened the family’s business if he did not return. After these threats, Nguyen’s wife and children joined him in Thailand. As recently as March 28, 2024, police went to Nguyen’s house in Ho Chi Minh City and questioned his former neighbors. Nguyen’s mother is still in Vietnam, but his father lives in the US and is an American citizen.
Profile last updated: 2024-10-09 18:48:23