On September 27, Ms. Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur of the United Nations (UN) on Human Rights Defenders, expressed concern about the death of Dr. Nguyen Quang A, a long-time human rights defender. years in Vietnam, repeatedly summoned for questioning by the police. This incident is related to interviews and discussions that Mr. Nguyen Quang A participated in on social networks, including platforms such as YouTube.
According to Ms. Lawlor, the fact that Hanoi police sent an invitation to interrogate Dr. Nguyen Quang A because of his human rights protection activities is a worrying action. She emphasized that he should be free to protect and promote human rights without hindrance. She also mentioned that Dr. A was repeatedly harassed and interrogated simply because he participated in interviews and discussions on political and social issues.
According to information from social network posts and invitation images shared by lawyer Dang Dinh Manh, Dr. Nguyen Quang A received two summons from the Long Bien district police, Hanoi. One summons asked him to appear on September 25 to answer questions about participating in a discussion on YouTube, and the second summons asked him to appear on September 27 for questioning about other interviews. .
In an interview with VOA on September 28, Dr. Nguyen Quang A confirmed that he refused to comply with invitations from the police, emphasizing that he did not come to headquarters as requested. He affirmed that he would not receive documents from the authorities at his home and requested that all information be sent by post so that he could respond in writing.
The case has attracted the attention of the international community, including professor Larry Diamond from the Hoover Institute at Stanford University, USA. Professor Diamond criticized this action by the Vietnamese government, saying it took place right after the visit of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam to the United States. He accused Vietnam of continuing its policy of “arresting new prisoners of conscience” to replace those who have just been released.
Previously, on September 21, right before the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam arrived in the US and attended the session of the UN General Assembly, Vietnam released a number of famous activists such as Tran Huynh Duy Thuc. , Hoang Thi Minh Hong and Hoang Ngoc Giao. This action is said to be part of a human rights diplomacy strategy to improve its international image.
Dr. Nguyen Quang A is a famous critical intellectual in Vietnam, known for his leadership role in the civil society movement. He regularly participates in online discussions on political and social issues, including many interviews on Voice of America (VOA). Previously, in May 2023, he was also blocked from leaving the country for “national security” reasons while preparing to go to Thailand.
The Vietnamese government often denies accusations of human rights violations, asserting that it respects citizens’ rights to freedom of speech and expression. However, cases like that of Dr. Nguyen Quang A show the challenges that human rights defenders in Vietnam are facing.
Ms. Mary Lawlor, who holds the role of Special Rapporteur of the UN, has repeatedly spoken out to protect the rights of human rights defenders around the world. As an independent expert, she is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the situation of human rights activists and promoting human rights under the mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council.