GLOBAL CAMPAIGN TO FREE NGUYEN BAC TRUYEN
Mr. Nguyen Bac Truyen, 54, is a jurist and Hoa Hao Buddhist who has been imprisoned twice for his peaceful advocacy for religious freedom, democratic reforms, and human rights.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Send postcards to Nguyen Bac Truyen (click to select a design)
Send a letter calling for Nguyen Bac Truyen’s immediate and unconditional release to (click to view and download):
Send a personal letter to Nguyen Bac Truyen at:
► An Diem Prison, Dai Hung commune, Dai Loc district, Quang Nam province, Vietnam.
► Or call: +84 (0235) 377 4502.
Truyen’s human rights work includes
Documenting rights abuses of religious communities in Vietnam who are persecuted simply because they do not belong to state-sanctioned religious organizations.
Advocating for the release of prisoners of conscience and
providing support and assistance to their families.
Providing pro-bono legal assistance and human rights training to victims of illegal land expropriation, families of prisoners of conscience, and marginalized religious communities.
Co-founding the Vietnam Coalition Against Torture, which advocates for the abolition of torture and all forms of illtreatment.
Coordinating assistance for disabled war veterans who face discrimination from the government.
Timeline
Until his first arrest in 2006, Nguyen Bac Truyen was a successful businessman. He was the first Vietnamese entrepreneur to voluntarily introduce workplace standards protecting the rights and safety of workers in his two companies.
Before 2006
2006
He was arrested in 2006 for his activism and online posts calling for multi-party democracy and respect for human rights.
After his release in 2010, Truyen faced constant government harassment and official reprisals for his human rights work, including at least four instances of physical assault by state security agents and their henchmen.
2010
2014
In one instance in February 2014, hundreds of police violently expelled Truyen and his wife, Bui
Thi Kim Phuong, from their home in Dong Thap province, where they had been supporting
persecuted Hoa-Hao Buddhists
July 20, 2017: Arrested a second time and sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment on charges of carrying out activities to overthrow the government (Penal Code Article 79).
2017
Currently
Nguyen Bac Truyen is currently held at An Điềm Prison in Quang Nam province, 800 kilometers (500 miles) from his wife and family.
Truyen suffers from several medical ailments, including heart valve disease, gastritis, back pain, and swollen joints. Despite numerous requests, he has not had a proper medical examination since his arrest in 2017.
In prison, Truyen has led hunger strikes in May 2019 and November 2020 to protest mistreatment of fellow prisoners, inadequate medical care, confiscation of mail, and other violations of prisoners’ rights under Vietnamese and international law.