Viet Nam: Prisoner of conscience attacked in prison: Nguyen Ngoc Anh
Aquatic engineer Nguyen Ngoc Anh, sentenced to six years in prison for peacefully expressing his disagreement with government policies, was physically assaulted in prison by a fellow prisoner. Despite serious injuries to his leg and head, he has been denied access to any medical care and instead locked in solitary confinement. The recent incident follows months of mental abuse by several prisoners, including daily death threats, which the prison officials failed to act on, despite being aware of the abuse.
First UA: 135/19 Index: ASA 41/1208/2019 Viet Nam Date: 16 October 2019
URGENT ACTION
PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE ATTACKED IN PRISON
Aquatic engineer Nguyen Ngoc Anh, sentenced to six years in prison for peacefully expressing his disagreement
with government policies, was physically assaulted in prison by a fellow prisoner. Despite serious injuries to his
leg and head, he has been denied access to any medical care and instead locked in solitary confinement. The
recent incident follows months of mental abuse by several prisoners, including daily death threats, which the
prison officials failed to act on, despite being aware of the abuse.
TAKE ACTION: WRITE AN APPEAL IN YOUR OWN WORDS OR USE THIS MODEL LETTER
Director of Ben Tre Provincial Police Force, Vo Hung Minh
404D Đồng Văn Cống, Phường 7,
TP. Bến Tre, Bến Tre,
Vietnam.
Email: conganbentre@gmail.com
Dear Mr. Vo Hung Minh,
I am writing to express my grave concern about the continuing imprisonment and treatment of prisoner of
conscience Nguyen Ngoc Anh, who was arrested on 30 August 2018 after he used Facebook to criticise a
draft law aimed at establishing special economic zones in the country.
Currently held at Ben Tre detention centre, Nguyen Ngoc Anh has reported being routinely subjected to mental
abuse by other prisoners, including daily death threats. During her latest monthly visit, Nguyen Ngoc Anh told
his wife that his cellmate had physically assaulted him, leaving him bloody and unconscious. Disturbingly,
prison authorities have failed to discipline the aggressor and have yet to acknowledge the formal complaint
lodged by Nguyen Ngoc Anh’s about the incident. Instead, Nguyen Ngoc Anh was then sent to a separated cell
and denied all access to medical treatment.
Convicted and sentenced to six years in prison in June 2019 after being convicted of “conducting propaganda
against the state”, Nguyen Ngoc Anh has been imprisoned solely for peacefully expressing his opinions.
I therefore urge you Mr. Vo Hung Minh to:
- Ensure that Nguyen Ngoc Anh is released immediately and unconditionally;
- Pending release, grant Nguyen Ngoc Anh prompt, regular and unrestricted access to adequate medical
care on request or as necessary;
- Ensure that pending release, Nguyen Ngoc Anh is treated in full accordance with the UN Standard
Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules), and specifically does not
subject him to torture or other ill-treatment, including poor conditions of detention and prolonged
solitary confinement.
Yours sincerely,
First UA: 135/19 Index: ASA 41/1208/2019 Viet Nam Date: 16 October 2019
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Nguyen Ngoc Anh is a 39-year-old aquatic engineer living in Ben Tre province, a coastal province in southern Viet
Nam, with his wife and a four-year-old son.
In September 2019, Nguyen Ngoc Anh told Nguyen Thi Chau, his wife, that during her monthly visit that he was being
constantly mentally abused by his cellmate, including daily death threats. Nguyen Ngoc Anh suspects that this
prisoner met a prison guard every Friday, to report on any developments concerning him. It is not uncommon for
prison guards to use prisoners to report on, intimidate and harass other prisoners.
On 11 October 2019, when Nguyen Ngoc Anh’s wife went to visit him again, she was alarmed to see her husband
walking with one leg dragging on the floor, a bruise on his neck and unable to move his left arm normally. Nguyen
Ngoc Anh told her that he had been attacked by his cellmate. One day in mid-September, when Nguyen Ngoc Anh
was preparing to take a shower, the prisoner kicked him from behind, with such force that Anh’s head bumped in the
wall and he fainted. The prisoner then proceeded to twist Nguyen Ngoc Anh’s left hand and punch him in his head,
stopping only when other prisoners intervened.
While Nguyen Ngoc Anh was moved to a separate cell after the incident, he has not received any acknowledgment by
a prison guard of the complaint he filed of the incident. In addition, despite his serious injury, the prison authorities
rejected his request to access to medical care. Rule one of the Nelson Mandela Rules states unequivocally that “The
safety and security of prisoners, staff, service providers and visitors shall be ensured at all times.”
Nguyen Ngoc Anh had used his personal Facebook account to express his opinion on different issues in Viet Nam,
including the Formosa environmental disaster in 2016. In 2018, he actively engaged in an online debate regarding the
proposed draft law on establishing three special economic zones in the country. In response, Nguyen Ngoc Anh was
arrested on 30 August 2018 by the local authorities of Ben Tre province and charged under article 117 of the penal
code for “conducting propaganda against the state”. Detained without trail until June 2019, he was eventually
convicted and sentenced to six years in prison on 6 June 2019.
Currently, there are more than a hundred prisoners of conscience in Viet Nam, many of whom have suffered torture
and other ill-treatment behind bars - including harassment, threats, intimidation and physical assault. Conditions of
detention are harsh; Amnesty International often receives news and reports from families of prisoners of conscience
complaining of the poor diet, lack of healthcare, and inadequate clothing during winter time.
Viet Nam is a state party to the International Covenant of Political and Civil Rights and the 2013 Constitution of Viet
Nam also guarantees the rights to freedom of expression of all citizen. It is also a state party to the UN Convention
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The Vietnamese government is
obliged to respect and protect the right of every individual under its jurisdiction, and in particular protect the safety and
wellbeing of those who are in its custody.
PREFERRED LANGUAGE TO ADDRESS TARGET: Vietnamese/English
You can also write in your own language.
PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: 26 November 2019
Please check with the Amnesty office in your country if you wish to send appeals after the deadline.
NAME AND PREFFERED PRONOUN: Nguyen Ngoc Anh (he/him)