KUALA LUMPUR (Malaysia), Jan 9: A prominent Vietnamese lawyer went on trial Thursday for Facebook posts that allegedly criticised the country’s former top judge, in a case that human rights groups said could have a chilling effect on expression in the country.
Tran Dinh Trien was arrested last June for three Facebook posts that allegedly criticised the actions of then-Chief Justice Nguyen Hoa Binh, according to Human Rights Watch and rights group Project 88. Trien was charged under Article 331 of the Penal Code with “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the state,” Project 88 said.
Trien, 65, is a former deputy director of the Hanoi Bar Association who has been involved in many high-profile legal cases. The trial is expected to last two days, with 12 lawyers defending him, according to Vietnamese state media. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
In his postings, Trien wrote that courts prevented family members of defendants from attending trials, barred journalists and lawyers from video recording at open trials, and criticised then-Chief Justice Binh for ruling against a death row inmate, Ho Duy Hai, despite irregularities in the investigation, Human Rights Watch said. The top court accused Trien of fabricating and spreading false information that tarnished Binh and the legal system.
Trien was arrested on the same day as prominent journalist and historian Truong Huy San, a week after Public Security Minister To Lam became the Communist country’s new president. Two months after Trien’s arrest, Binh was appointed the country’s deputy prime minister.
Project 88 said Trien’s prosecution violated international law which provides for open political debate and the right to criticise public officials.
“If convicted, Trien’s prosecution will set a dangerous precedent for other lawyers in Vietnam. It will also have a chilling effect on the general population, who will be less likely to voice criticism of their un-elected leaders and government officials on social media,” the group said.
Human Rights Watch said Trien was the latest in a series of prominent lawyers targeted for their social media posts. It said at least four Vietnamese lawyers have sought asylum in the United States in the past two years for fear of arrest.
Vietnamese authorities have also increasingly used Article 331 to silence government critics, with courts convicting and sentencing at least 24 people under the article last year alone, it said.
“The government should immediately drop all charges against Trien and free him and others prosecuted for the peaceful expression of their political views,” it added.
The 2024 World Press Freedom Index issued by Reporters Without Borders ranks Vietnam at 174th out of 180 countries and territories. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls Vietnam “the fifth worst jailer of journalists worldwide,” with at least 19 reporters locked up as of December. (AP)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
