While welcoming recent positive legal and political developments in Viet Nam, there are continued concerns about existing legal and political practices which violate the civil and political rights of its citizens. These include the practice of administrative detention and unfair trials. Cases given include those of prisoners of conscience Doan Thanh Liem, a lawyer, tried on 14 May 1992 and sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment for allegedly spreading “anti-socialist propoganda”, Doan Viet Hoat, sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in March 1993, and Dr Nguyen Dan Que, also sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment. Other concerns include the broad application of the national security laws and continued use of the death penalty.
