The Vietnam Human Rights Network (VNHRN) announced on November 13, 2026, that three imprisoned human rights activists have been selected to receive the 2026 Vietnam Human Rights Award. The recipients are Pastor Nguyen Manh Hung, independent journalist Le Huu Minh Tuan, and human rights activist Le Chi Thanh. The award ceremony will be co-hosted by VNHRN and the Human Rights Relief Foundation (HRRF) in Sydney, Australia, on December 6, 2026, as part of the organizations' observance of International Human Rights Day and the 78th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Dr. Nguyen Ba Tung, Executive Director of the VNHRN, stated that the award represents a resolute commitment from the Vietnamese diaspora worldwide to provide stronger support for those within the country who are being persecuted for their human rights advocacy. He added that it serves as a definitive response to the oppressive Communist regime in Vietnam, affirming that violence can never diminish the people's aspirations for their fundamental human rights.
The Vietnam Human Rights Award was established by VNHRN in 2002 and is presented annually to individuals and organizations in Vietnam that have made outstanding contributions to protecting and promoting the human rights of the Vietnamese people. Since its inception, the award has honored 64 individuals and six organizations in Vietnam. Over the past 24 years, the award ceremony has been held in conjunction with International Human Rights Day in cities around the world, including Paris, Frankfurt, Melbourne, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and several cities across the United States.
Pastor Nguyen Manh Hung, born in 1954 in Hai Phong, served as a platoon leader and political commissar in the North Vietnamese military before leaving the military after 1975 and joining the state-unrecognized Mennonite Church. He became a pastor in 2011 and leads the Cow Shed Church. In 2015, he testified before the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, exposing the Vietnamese government's suppression of independent religious communities. He was arrested on January 16, 2025, and on June 8, 2026, the People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City sentenced him to five years and six months in prison on the charge of "conducting propaganda against the State." He is currently serving his sentence at Xuan Loc Prison in Dong Nai Province, and his health has reportedly deteriorated significantly amid harsh prison conditions.
Journalist Le Huu Minh Tuan, born in 1989 in Quang Nam Province, holds a degree in history from the University of Danang and studied law at Hanoi Law University. He joined the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam, where he oversaw daily reporting for Vietnam Thoi Bao. On June 12, 2020, he was arrested and charged with "conducting propaganda against the State" under Article 117 of the Vietnamese Penal Code. On January 5, 2021, a court sentenced him to 11 years in prison, followed by three years of probation. He is currently detained at Xuyen Moc Prison in Ba Ria–Vung Tau Province, and his health has reportedly deteriorated severely due to chronic illnesses and harsh prison conditions. International human rights organizations have repeatedly called for his release.
Human rights activist Le Chi Thanh, born in 1983 in Vinh Phuc Province, joined the police force at age 20 but was expelled in July 2020 after challenging corruption and authoritarian rule. He ran as an independent candidate for the National Assembly in 2021 but was arrested on April 14, 2021. He received a two-year sentence on January 14, 2022, and an additional three-year sentence on June 22, 2022. During his imprisonment, he was transferred among eight different prisons and endured torture. By the time of his second trial, his physical condition had deteriorated so severely that two police officers had to support him as he stood before the court. Released in June 2025, he resumed his advocacy, legally traveled to Thailand, and obtained refugee status from UNHCR. However, after Vietnamese authorities revoked his passport, he was detained by Thai authorities at the Bangkok Immigration Detention Center and faced the threat of deportation to Vietnam. His detention is one instance of the transnational repression policy that the Vietnamese authorities are employing against dissidents—a matter that warrants the attention of the international community.
The 2026 award underscores the ongoing persecution of human rights defenders in Vietnam and the cross-border reach of the government's crackdown, drawing international attention to the plight of these three prisoners of conscience.
