Tran Minh Nhat

After the verdict, Human Rights Watch released a press statement calling for Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to immediately “withdraw all the charges against those who are held pending trial and for those who have been sentenced to be unconditionally exonerated.”[7]

On December 13, 2011, Congresswoman Susan Davis of California's 53rd District and a member of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam[8] spoke to the United States Congress on behalf of the 14 arrested Catholic Vietnamese youth activists. The Congresswoman called on her colleagues to “stand side-by-side with these brave individuals and raise their voice in demanding that the Government of Vietnam release all prisoners of conscience and uphold their commitment to human rights for all.”[9]

Following the trial, Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch, stated that “this was the largest group to be brought to trial together in recent times.”[10] Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, condemned the arrests and stated that “The conviction of yet more peaceful activists is another example of a government that is increasingly afraid of the opinions of its own people. Instead of imprisoning critics, the Vietnamese government should be honoring them for their efforts to address the myriad problems facing the country that the government itself has also identified."[11]

During his time at the Nghi Kim prison, Nhat was treated poorly and forced to live in harsh prison conditions in severe summer weather while being denied basic medicines and reading material.[6] Inside the prison, Nhat went on a prolonged hunger strike to protest these unfair conditions and treatment he and his fellow prisoners faced.[10] Nhat was also pressured to sign a confession in order to receive a shorter sentence but openly refused, stating that he was “not guilty and nobody can force me to sign a confession.”[11]

On January 8, 2013, he appealed to reduce his jail sentence but was denied by the courts, though he did not have to face probation anymore after completing his jail sentence.[12]

Desperate for relief, Nhat went to Radio Free Asia asking for help in making public his current situation. As he told Radio Free Asia reporter Gia Minh, “My current situation is alarming because they sprayed pesticides all around my residence. I could die inside my house because of the toxicity. Even when I stepped outside to take care of our chickens I wanted to throw up because of the smell […] They threw stones at our window, breaking glass and light bulbs. People who watch my house always have their weapon in their vehicles. I'm very worried.”[15]

Australian House Representative Chris Hayes for the Division of Fowler, New South Wales presented Nhat's situation before parliament, commending him for his courage as a human rights activist: “He is a person whose human rights have certainly been offended, but his crime was that he stood up for the human rights of others. Wherever human rights abuse occurs—and particularly where it involves a valued trading partner—it should be a concern for all of us.”[16] He demanded that the government take action immediately for this injustice, stating that “To ignore is to excuse, which in turn leads to acceptance. We need to stand up for individuals who are brave enough to stand up for the rights of others.”[16]

The attacks on Nhat, his family, and his property was condemned by organizations and individuals worldwide including Amnesty International,[17] English Pen,[4] and Front Line Defenders.[18]