Vietnam: U.S. State Dept calls for Dinh’s release
WASHINGTON, D.C., 15 June 2009 — The U.S. Department of State issued a statement in support of the unconditional and immediate release of lawyer Le Cong Dinh.
Its statement in full reads: “The United States is deeply concerned by the arrest by Vietnamese authorities of lawyer Le Cong Kinh on June 13 on charges of ‘distributing propaganda against the state.’ Vietnamese officials have stated that Dinh was arrested because of his defense of pro-democracy activists and his use of the Internet to express his views. Mr. Dinh is a well-respected member of the Vietnamese and international legal communities, and a former Fulbright scholar. No individual should be arrested for expression the right to free speech, and no lawyer should be punished because of the individuals they choose to counsel. Vietnam’s arrest of Mr. Dinh contradicts the government’s own commitment to internationally accepted standards of human rights and to the rule of law. We urge the Government of Vietnam to release Mr. Dinh immediately and unconditionally, as well as all other prisoners in detention for peacefully expressing their views.”
