Lê Đình Lượng
{{Short description|Vietnamese activist}}
{{BLP primary sources|date=September 2018}}
{{family name hatnote|Lê|Lượng|lang=Vietnamese}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Lê Đình Lượng
| image =
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| native_name =
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| birth_date = December 10, 1965
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| nationality = Vietnamese
| other_names =
| occupation = Businessman
| known_for = Democracy activism, citizen journalism
}}
Lê Đình Lượng is a Vietnamese blogger, activist and prominent member of the Catholic Church. A veteran of the 1983 during Sino-Vietnamese conflicts, 1979–1991, he was arrested in Vietnam on 24 July 2017 and charged for "activities attempting to overthrow the state" under Article 79 of 1999 Penal Code.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/vietnam/subversion-07272017165736.html|title=Vietnamese Activist Held in Nghe An on Suspicion of Subversion|website=Radio Free Asia|language=en|access-date=2018-08-13}} Lượng was subsequently sentenced to 20 years prison and 5 years house arrest in a one-day trial in August 2018.{{Cite news|url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-vietnam-dissident/vietnam-sentences-activist-to-20-years-prison-amid-dissent-crackdown-idUKKBN1L10RD|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816102820/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-vietnam-dissident/vietnam-sentences-activist-to-20-years-prison-amid-dissent-crackdown-idUKKBN1L10RD|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 16, 2018|title=Vietnam sentences activist to 20 years prison amid dissent crackdown|author=Reuters Editorial|work=U.K.|access-date=2018-09-21|language=en-GB}}
Activism
Lượng is a citizen journalist for Good News for the Poor and Catholic Youth, reporting on the movement for environmental justice following the 2016 Vietnam marine life disaster. He campaigned for the rights of farmers to refuse to pay excessive educational and agricultural output fees imposed by local authorities. Lượng also worked on supporting detained human rights defenders and their families, advocating for the release of political prisoners and the end to intimidation and harassment of activists and their families.{{Cite news|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/07/26/vietnam-drop-charges-against-environmental-activist|title=Vietnam: Drop Charges Against Environmental Activist|date=2018-07-26|work=Human Rights Watch|access-date=2018-08-13|language=en}} He was physically attacked by policemen in Lâm Đồng Province following a celebration to mark the release of human rights activist and journalist Tran Minh Nhat.{{Cite web|url=https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/human-rights-defenders-severely-beaten|title=Human rights defenders severely beaten|last=|first=|date=9 September 2015|website=Front Line Defenders|access-date=2018-08-13}}
Lượng was arrested while on his way home after visiting the wife of Nguyễn Văn Oai, a human rights defender who has been imprisoned since January 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://rsf.org/en/news/vietnam-why-party-cracking-down-harder-bloggers|title=Vietnam : Why is the Party cracking down harder on bloggers? {{!}} Reporters without borders|website=RSF|language=fr-FR|access-date=2018-08-13}} According to his wife, he has not been permitted family visitations despite multiple requests.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rfa.org/vietnamese/news/vietnamnews/le-dinh-luong-to-be-tried-on-july-30-07222018165046.html|title=Nhà hoạt động Lê Đình Lượng sẽ ra toà vào ngày 30/7|website=Radio Free Asia|language=vi|access-date=2018-08-13}}
2018 Conviction
Le Dinh Lượng was sentenced to 20 years prison and 5 years house arrest on 16 August 2018 in a trial which lasted five hours.{{Cite news|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/vietnam-facebook-activist-le-dinh-luong-jail/|title=Vietnam's government just jailed an activist for 20 years based on his Facebook posts|work=VICE News|access-date=2018-08-22|language=en}} He was only able to meet with his lawyer in late July 2018, after being held incommunicado for a year.{{Cite web|url=https://vietnamprisoners.info/prisoner/18/le-dinh-luong|title=Le Dinh Luong - The 88 Project, the Vietnamese Political Prisoner Database|website=vietnamprisoners.info|language=en|access-date=2018-08-13}}
The international community was quick to react following the verdict. Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director of Human Rights Watch said it was "absolutely outrageous" and that "speaking out and peacefully demonstrating should not be a crime".{{Cite news|url=https://twitter.com/Reaproy/status/1030008143781085184|title=Phil Robertson on Twitter|work=Twitter|access-date=2018-08-22|language=en}} The United States Department of State expressed their concerns calling the charges "vague" and that the trend of lengthy prison sentences handed down on peaceful activists was "troubling".{{Cite news|url=https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2018/08/285197.htm|title=Vietnam's Conviction of Peaceful Activist Le Dinh Luong|work=U.S. Department of State|access-date=2018-08-22|language=en-US}} The European Union Delegation said Lượng's conviction was in "direct breach of (the Vietnamese government's) international obligations" and conventions including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.{{Cite web|url=https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/vietnam_en/49523/Local%20EU%20statement%20on%20the%20recent%20conviction%20of%20Mr%20Le%20Dinh%20Luong|title=Local EU statement on the recent conviction of Mr Le Dinh Luong - EEAS - European External Action Service - European Commission|website=EEAS - European External Action Service|language=en|access-date=2018-08-22}}
See also
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Le, Dinh Luong}}
Category:Vietnamese journalists
Category:Political repression in Vietnam
Category:Vietnamese prisoners and detainees