The Vietnamese government in 2021 systematically punished activists who challenged the repressive status quo, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2022. In a year dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the 13th Communist Party Congress in January, and national elections in May, the authorities imprisoned at least 60 people for expressing opinions or joining groups deemed hostile to the government, with many receiving very long prison sentences after unfair trials.
The Vietnamese authorities should immediately drop all charges and release the independent political candidate Le Trong Hung, Human Rights Watch said today. Le Trong Hung campaigned as an independent candidate for the 15th National Assembly election in May 2021.