The US and Europe called for the release of Ms. Pham Doan Trang

Journalist, social activist Pham Doan Trang is also a spokesperson for Tu Do Publishing House with publications published by Tu Do Publishing House.

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International in recent days continued to speak up about the Vietnamese government's arrest of activist Pham Doan Trang.

On Friday, October 9, 2020, Assistant Secretary of the United States for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor posted on Twitter that the country condemns the arrest of the writer, democracy and human rights activist Pham Doan Trang. Arresting Pham Doan Trang: Commenting on the case of 'challenging democratic values . The world press voiced the arrest of Pham Doan Trang The arrest of journalist Pham Doan Trang: The initial response from international and Vietnamese

Robert A. Destro said, we urge the Vietnamese government to immediately release her and remove all crimes.

On the same day, a senior diplomatic official from Europe also demanded the release of the activist arrested by the Vietnamese security agency on the night of October 6 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic, Mr. Tomáš Petříček wrote on Twitter: I am convinced with deep concern about the arrest of Ms. Pham Doan Trang, winner of the 2017 Homo Homini Prize. makes outstanding contributions to the promotion of human rights, democracy and the peaceful resolution of political conflicts. I demanded her unconditional release and called on the Vietnamese government to respect international legal commitments.

Before that, there were many human rights organizations and international press voiced about this arrest. The Federation of European Publishers (FEP) even asked politicians to intervene to release Pham Doan Trang. The FEP noted that Vietnam has signed a trade agreement with the EU, and this agreement still needs to be approved by parliaments.

The FEP, which represents 29 publisher associations in different countries, wrote to European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombroskis and several European Parliament members. In the letter, FEP President Peter Kraus vom Cleff wrote, we are counting on your intervention and support for civil society in Vietnam, and calling for Pham Doan Trang to be released.

Crime of conducting propaganda against the state

News of Pham Doan Trang's arrest was officially announced on the website of the Ministry of Public Security on October 7 , and posted on Vietnamese media on the same day.

The Ministry of Public Security said that the arrest, emergency search and detention were carried out by the Hanoi security agency in coordination with some professional units of the Ministry of Public Security and the Ho Chi Minh City police.

The report added that Ms. Pham Doan Trang charged with criminal charges of "Propaganda against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam as defined in Article 88 of the 1999 Penal Code and doing, possessing, distributing or disseminating information, documents and articles to oppose the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam as stipulated in Article 117 of the Penal Code 2015.

However, according to an update on October 11 on Pham Doan Trang's personal Facebook page, the Hanoi police informed her family that she was detained for "conducting anti-state propaganda". Article 88 of the 1999 Penal Code, and is currently detained in the No. 1 Detention Center of the Hanoi police.

Immediately after the arrest, on October 7, Pham Doan Trang's personal Facebook page posted a notice that this page was managed and controlled by "the admin authorized by Pham Doan Trang to manage the account in case she was arrested.

The site's current admin (moderator), who claims to be representing Doan Trang's help group", said until Saturday 10/10, apart from the detention paper, Trang's family has yet to receive it. necessary papers related to the case such as arrest warrant, decision to prosecute the accused, prosecute the case though requested.

Therefore, it is not clear whether she is being prosecuted under the two terms of the 1999 and 2015 penal codes as stated by the Ministry of Public Security on October 7, or just under the provisions of the 1999 Penal Code. .

Besides not receiving the required documents, the family has not yet sent the necessary clothes and personal belongings to the Trang, added Facebook page administrator Pham Doan Trang.

News Source:- BBC