Nguyễn Văn Lý
Nguyễn Văn Lý , called Brother Thaddeus (alternatively Thadeus), (born May 15, 1946 ) is a Roman Catholic priest and a prominent Vietnamese dissident . As a political prisoner, he has served more than 15 years in prison.
Life
Nguyễn Văn Lý began in the 1970s to get involved politically in the pro-democracy movement. Because of his activities, he was sentenced to one year in prison in 1977. He was detained again from May 1983 to July 1992. The reason was: "Opponent of the revolution and destruction of national unity". In December 1983 Amnesty International adopted Nguyễn Văn Lý as a Prisoner of Conscience.
Nguyễn Văn Lý received international and official attention in November 2000 when members of the Religious Freedom Committee visited him in his village during a state visit by Bill Clinton to Vietnam.
On May 17, 2001, Nguyễn Văn Lý was arrested in An Truyen . The charges were "repeated disregard of probation". In October 2001, he was sentenced to an additional 15 years in prison for advocating the human right to personal freedom of expression. Due to international pressure, the sentence was later reduced several times and Nguyễn Văn Lý was released in February 2004. However, he is under house arrest in the Archdiocese of Huế . In July 2011, he was transferred back to Ba Sao Prison, sick.
On April 8, 2006, Nguyễn Văn Lý published the “ Manifesto on Freedom and Democracy in Vietnam” together with writers . Later, the signatories of the manifest called themselves Bloc 8406 , according to the publication date of the paper.
A week later, the first issue of the newspaper blog "Free Language" (Vietnamese: Tự Do Ngôn Luận ) appeared. The editor was Nguyễn Văn Lý and three other Catholic priests.
On September 8, 2006 Nguyễn Văn Lý took part in the founding of the “Vietnam Progress Party” (Vietnamese: Đảng Thăng Tiến Việt Nam ).
Arrest and convictions
On February 19, 2007, the secret police searched the house in the Archdiocese of Huế, confiscated computers and imprisoned Nguyễn Văn Lý. He was taken to Ben Cui in central Vietnam, where he was placed under house arrest. From February 24 to March 5, Nguyễn Văn Lý went on hunger strike to protest his arrest.
Because of his membership in Bloc 8406, Nguyễn Văn Lý was sentenced to eight years in prison on March 30, 2007. Judge Bùi Quốc Hiệp's reasoning for the verdict read: “Serious crimes that threatened national security”. Nguyễn Văn Lý had tried to organize a boycott of the upcoming elections.
His court appearance was televised in Vietnam and foreign journalists were allowed to attend. During the trial, Nguyễn Văn Lý tried to shout “Down with communism!” (Vietnamese: “ Đả Đảo Cộng Sản ”). However, he was stopped by the security guard behind him by covering his mouth. The video of this situation and a photo were then distributed over the Internet.
The conviction was also criticized by foreign politicians, including US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack and then US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice , who called it a "negative development". US Congressman Christopher Smith initiated a Congressional resolution calling on Vietnam to release Nguyn Văn Lý immediately and unconditionally. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren wrote a letter to Rice asking for Vietnam to be reinstated on the Country of Particular Concern for its violations of human rights and religious freedom. In 2016, Reporters Without Borders and missio in Aachen launched an online petition for the release of the Catholic priest.
release
Nguyễn Văn Lý was released from custody immediately before US President Barack Obama's state visit to Vietnam .
Opinions about Nguyễn Văn Lý
"Brother Ly's activities to support greater religious freedom in Vietnam have been going on for many years."
" Homo Homini Prize " is an annual award by the "People in Need" foundation, to people who have made outstanding contributions to human rights, democracy and non-violent resolution of political conflicts. Nguyễn Văn Lý is a Roman Catholic priest. He has repeatedly been the victim of brutal treatment by the authorities while campaigning for religious freedom in Vietnam. (Receipt of the Homo Homini Prize 2003).
“This is not Brother Ly's first encounter with the Vietnamese government. Since 1977, the government of Vietnam has repeatedly arrested, molested and detained Ly for advocating religious freedom. "
“US Senator Sam Brownback yesterday met with one of Vietnam's leading political and religious dissidents. Brownback met Brother Nguyễn Văn Lý, a Catholic priest who is being held prisoner by Vietnamese officials for criticizing the one-party system and lack of religious freedom in Vietnam. The two met in Nam Ha prison, where Nguyễn Văn Lý is currently incarcerated. "
See also
Web links
- Vietnam: Dissident Priest sent 8 years to Prison . In: The New York Times , March 31, 2007
- Blogger and Vietnamese citizen journalist in custody . Reporters without borders
- Letter to his relatives
- Amnesty International 2012: Prisoner of the Month for May
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Vietnam: Father Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly - Prisoner of Conscience . Amnesty International
- ^ Father Nguyen Van Ly, Prisoner of Conscience . Amnesty International
- ↑ Vietnam: End Attacks on Year-Old Democracy Movement . Human Rights Watch, April 6, 2007
- ^ Petition 2016 . Reporters without borders
- ↑ Article Archive. ( Memento of the original from September 28, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. International PEN
- ↑ vietnamprogression.org ( Memento of the original from July 5, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b U.S. calls Vietnamese sentence of Catholic priest deeply troubling 'negative development' . IHT, March 30, 2007
- ↑ Vatican said likely to ask for Vietnamese priest's clemency . ( Memento of the original from September 29, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Catholic Online
- ↑ Video. ( Memento of April 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Youtube
- ↑ H. Res. 243: Text Resolution . GovTrack
- ^ Rep. Lofgren Calls on State Department to Add Vietnam to Countries of Particular Concern List . Lofgren (CA16), Press Release
- ↑ press release. Reporters Without Borders, Jan. 27, 2016
- ↑ press release. ( Memento of the original from August 21, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. missio Aachen, January 25, 2016
- ↑ missio Aachen: Press release from May 24, 2016 ( Memento of the original from June 30, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Reporters Without Borders: Press release of May 24, 2016
- ↑ diepresse.com: Vietnam releases Catholic priest before Obama visits (May 21, 2016)
- ↑ To please Obama, Hanoi releases Catholic human rights icon Ms. Van Ly . asianews.it, May 21, 2016
- ^ Socialist Republic of Viet Nam: A human rights review based on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights . Amnesty International
- ^ Homo Homini Awards recognize the work of three Vietnamese activists . Radio Prague, April 11, 2003
- ↑ Freedom Now. ( Memento of the original of March 10, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Press Release. ( Memento of the original from March 1, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. US Senator Sam Brownback
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Nguyễn, Văn Lý |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Brother Thaddeus; Brother Thadeus |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Roman Catholic priest, Vietnamese dissident |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 15, 1946 |