Treatment of Ailing Independent Journalist in Prison ‘A Disgrace to Vietnam’

Concern grows for Le Huu Minh Tuan. Six political prisoners have died in custody in Vietnam since 2019.

By Truong Son for RFA Vietnamese

Independent journalist Le Huu Minh Tuan, who is serving 11 years for “conducting propaganda against the state,” has told his family that he is facing serious health problems in prison. A human rights group says his treatment is “a disgrace to Vietnam.”

Tuan, a member of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam, is incarcerated at Xuyen Moc Prison in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau. According to his family, on April 19, Tuan made his monthly phone call home and reported that he had been suffering from prolonged rectal bleeding, with the amount of blood increasing over time, leading to physical deterioration and mental exhaustion.

Tuan’s relatives said the condition had lasted for three weeks. Although prison medical staff examined him and diagnosed a colon-related issue before administering three injections, his condition has shown no signs of improvement.

The medical staff also submitted a report on Tuan’s condition to the prison administration, but according to what he said during the phone call, as of June 19, the prison authorities had yet to respond.

The family said that Tuan’s wish is to be taken outside the prison for examination and treatment at a hospital.

“I’m very worried. Tuan is in urgent need of medical assistance, but we don’t know what to do. He’s very concerned about his health,” a relative told RFA on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.

In response to reports of the political prisoner’s serious health condition, international organizations have called on the Vietnamese authorities to release him.

In a June 20 statement, Human Rights Watch said: “The Vietnamese government should immediately release independent journalist Le Huu Minh Tuan and ensure he receives proper medical treatment.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists issued a similar call. “Tuan’s pain and suffering during the past five years in prison is Vietnam’s shame, and he should be released immediately,” the New York-based press freedom group said in a statement.

Tuan was arrested in June 2020 along with two other members of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam: Chairman Pham Chi Dung and Vice Chairman Nguyen Tuong Thuy. All three were charged with “conducting propaganda against the state.”

Nguyen Tuong Thuy, 75, a former contributor to RFA Vietnamese, has also suffered from poor health, and his family has protested to prison authorities over the lack of proper treatment.

Last last year, relatives and rights groups voiced concern over Tuan’s health, reporting that he had been unable to eat solid food, leading to severe weight loss, stomach pain, digestive problems and numbness in his legs.

Prison conditions in Vietnam, especially for political prisoners, have long been criticized as harsh by international human rights organizations. Family members also complain that prisoners have contracted serious illnesses due to harsh living conditions — ranging from poor-quality food and unsafe drinking water to inadequate medical care.

According to information from the relatives of prisoners, from 2019 until now, at least six political prisoners have died in detention centers, including: independent journalist Do Cong Duong, former educator Dao Quang Thuuc and Pastor Dinh Diem at Prison No. 6 (Nghe An Province); Phan Van Thu at Gia Trung Prison (Gia Lai Province); Doan Dinh Nam at Xuyen Moc Prison (Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province); and Huynh Huu Dat at Xuan Loc Prison (Dong Nai Province).

Edited by Mat Pennington.