Three Imprisoned Vietnamese Activists Receive 2025 Human Rights Award

The Vietnam Human Rights Network has selected three imprisoned activists—Phan Tat Thanh, Nguyen Chi Tuyen, and Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hanh—as recipients of the 2025 Vietnam Human Rights Award for their dedicated efforts to advance human rights in Vietnam. This recognition comes as all three remain incarcerated under what human rights organizations characterize as politically motivated charges, drawing international attention to Vietnam's human rights record.

Phan Tat Thanh, 39, formerly administered the Facebook page Nhat Ky Yeu Nuoc (Patriotic Diary), which focused on human rights violations, environmental pollution, corruption, and territorial disputes with China. The page once attracted over 200,000 members before his arrest on July 13, 2023. Thanh reported experiencing physical and mental abuse during detention to extract confessions. Following a brief trial on May 8, 2024, he received an eight-year prison sentence plus three years probation for "propaganda against the State." He refused to plead guilty, maintaining his actions aligned with both Vietnam's Constitution and United Nations human rights conventions. After sentencing, Thanh declared he did not recognize the trial's legitimacy, calling it "a form of imposition and oppression." He currently serves his sentence at Xuan Loc Prison in Dong Nai Province.

Nguyen Chi Tuyen, 51, co-founded the "No U" group in 2007 to counter China's territorial claims in the East Sea. Active on platforms including Facebook and YouTube, he defended persecuted activists and criticized government policies across social, environmental, and economic issues, resulting in multiple assaults by undercover police. Authorities arrested Tuyen during a home raid on February 29, 2024, and the Hanoi People's Court sentenced him to five years imprisonment on August 15, 2024, also for "propaganda against the State." Before trial, Tuyen told his lawyer, "I can absolutely choose my own safety if I ignore the country's problems. But as a citizen, I cannot help but be responsible for my country." He is detained at Prison No. 6 in Nghe An Province.

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hanh, 49, a former math teacher at Saigon's Canadian International School, co-founded the Constitution Group in 2018 to promote constitutional rights like freedom of expression, assembly, and participation in state management. The group used social media to discuss official violations harming citizens and joined 2018 protests against the Law on Special Economic Zones and Law on Cyber Security. Police abducted Hanh from the street on September 3, 2018; she endured 11 months of solitary confinement and torture before her family's first visit. On July 31, 2020, after nearly two years detained, she and seven co-defendants received total sentences of 40.5 years for "Disruption of security," with Hanh sentenced to eight years as the alleged mastermind. She is held at An Phuoc prison in Ho Chi Minh City.

Established in 2002, the Vietnam Human Rights Award honors outstanding achievements in defending Vietnamese rights and fosters solidarity among global Vietnamese communities and human rights advocates. According to the Vietnam Human Rights Network, which organizes the award, 63 individuals and six organizations in Vietnam have received it over 22 years. Ceremonies typically occur on International Human Rights Day in cities worldwide; the 2025 event is scheduled for December 7 in Montreal, Canada, coordinated with the Vietnamese Community of Montreal. The network's mission, detailed at https://www.vietnamhumanrights.net, emphasizes defending human rights and civil liberties per the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments.

This award underscores persistent international scrutiny of Vietnam's treatment of dissenters and the risks faced by activists advocating for constitutional rights. The recognition of currently imprisoned individuals amplifies concerns about judicial independence and freedom of expression in Vietnam, potentially influencing diplomatic relations and human rights monitoring efforts. For Vietnamese citizens and global observers, these cases illustrate the ongoing struggle between state authority and civil society, with implications for investment, trade partnerships, and Vietnam's international standing regarding human rights compliance.