Lê Hữu Minh Tuấn was born in 1989, normally resides in Quảng Nam. [1] He graduated from the history program at the University of Da Nang, and was also pursuing a law degree at Hanoi Law University. Mr. Tuấn is an independent journalist and a member of a journalists’ association, the Independent Journalists’ Association of Viet Nam. He covers daily news for Việt Nam Thời Báo, a news website affiliated with the association. [2]
Activism
Since 2015, Tuấn has been a member of Hội Nhà báo Độc Lập (Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam – IJAVN). He has actively participated in many movements and written mostly about social injustices, domestic politics and the Vietnamese democracy movement. It has always been Mr. Tuấn’s dream to write the first historical book on the democratization of Vietnam.
IJAVN is a civil society organisation that was established in 2014 and promotes the right to free speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of association. The Việt Nam Thời Báo (Vietnam Times) newspaper was their official forum, set out to implement the right for a free press and promote an independent and decent media for Vietnam.
Arrest and detention
Reportedly, prior to Mr. Tuấn’s arrest, he was summoned at least four times by the police to answer questions relating to another journalist and a fellow member of the journalists’ association. He reportedly did not cooperate.
Mr. Tuấn was detained by authorities on the morning of June 12, 2020, during a raid on a coffee shop at a property owned by a member of his family in the province of Quảng Nam. Between 8.30 and 9.00 a.m., 30 plain-clothed and 10 uniformed police officers forced the coffee shop to close, covering all interior surveillance cameras with black nylon bags and turning off the Wi-Fi.
Allegedly, Mr. Tuấn was held incommunicado and never given access to judicial review of his detention. He was never brought before a judge to confirm the legal basis for his arrest or his continuing pretrial detention. On February 28, 2022, his appeal court took place. His 11-year sentence from his instance trial in January 2021 was upheld on charges of “anti-state propaganda.” The open trial lasted only half a day and Mr. Tuấn’s family was not allowed inside the courtroom.
Mr. Tuấn is currently serving his sentence in Xuyên Mộc prison, Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu province. According to his sister in March 2023, Mr. Tuấn was not allowed to receive medicines from his family, and had ulcerative colitis, prolapsed hemorrhoids, hives, diarrhea, and constipation due to the poor conditions in the prison. During their visit in July, his family reported that his health was worsening. Mr. Tuấn had become thin, and his scabies had spread all over his body due to the unsanitary prison cell, yet his request to be hospitalized had never been approved. The condition was so severe that he was unable to stand or walk properly.
International communications
In June 2020, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) expressed their concerns about the deprivation of liberty of Lê Hữu Minh Tuấn. “The arrest of another independent journalist, Lê Hữu Minh Tuấn, is a confirmation of the nervousness within the Vietnamese Communist Party’s current leadership six months ahead of its 13th five-yearly congress,” said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF’s Asia-Pacific desk. “This young reporter had been playing a major role by peacefully covering the aspirations of Vietnam’s civil society. By silencing those who speak out, the Communist Party’s leaders are behaving like a ruling class that just seeks to protect its privileges.” [3]
In the same month, Shawn Crispin, senior Southeast Asia representative of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)’s, stated that “Authorities should immediately release journalist Lê Hữu Minh Tuấn and stop their campaign of harassment against members of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam,” he added, “Vietnam will never be viewed as a responsible international actor as long as it continues to treat independent journalists like criminals.” [4]
In June 2021, the European Union published a statement calling for the release of Mr. Tuấn and expressed their effort to continue to monitor and work with the Vietnamese authorities and all relevant stakeholders to improve the human rights situation in Vietnam. [5]
Also in June 2021, UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention adopted an opinion concluding the deprivation of liberty of Lê Hữu Minh Tuấn is arbitrary and in contravention with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the ICCPR. It requests the Government of Viet Nam to immediately release Mr. Tuấn and take the steps necessary to remedy his situation without delay and bring it into conformity with the relevant international norms. [6]
References:
[1] https://the88project.org/profile/490/le-huu-minh-tuan/ [2] https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G21/125/31/PDF/G2112531.pdf?OpenElement [3] https://rsf.org/en/another-independent-journalist-arrested-vietnam [4] https://cpj.org/2020/06/journalist-le-huu-minh-tuan-arrested-on-anti-state-charge-in-vietnam/?ref=thevietnamese.org [5] https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/vietnam-statement-spokesperson-sentencing-three-journalists_en [6] https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G21/125/31/PDF/G2112531.pdf?OpenElement
