Vietnam kicks out human rights lawyer and another dissident to Germany
Brotherhood for Democracy, which is banned in the communist country, said they both arrived in Frankfurt early on Friday
Vietnamese authorities released from prison and expelled a prominent human rights lawyer and another dissident, both of whom were sent to Germany, a pro-democracy group said.
The Brotherhood for Democracy said on its Facebook page that lawyer Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thu Ha arrived in Frankfurt early Friday. It said Dai was accompanied by his wife, Vu Minh Khanh. Dai co-founded the Brotherhood, which is banned in the communist country.
Dai, 49, and Ha, 36, were convicted of attempting to overthrow the government and sentenced to 15 and nine years in jail respectively in a trial in Hanoi in April. Four others convicted of the same crime were given prison sentences of 7 to 11 years. A High Court on Monday rejected their appeals.
The six were found guilty of ties with the Brotherhood, whose stated goal is to defend human rights and seek to build a “democratic, progressive, just and civilised society in Vietnam.” The court, however, determined that their purpose was to change the leadership of the Communist Party and build a multiparty system.
Vietnamese Foreign Ministry officials and the German embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
Dozens of dissidents have been released and expelled to Western countries, mostly to the United States.