We are supporting the project of the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB) and the United States Commissioners for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in highlighting individuals around the world who have been imprisoned for exercising their freedom of religion or belief.
Through the project, USCIRF Commissioners advocate for specific prisoners, hoping to raise awareness of these and other prisoners, reduce their number, and highlight the country conditions that led to their imprisonment.
Evidence shows how effective the dedicated advocacy of parliamentarians can be in working for their release.
Action can entail a range of measures such as:
Writing to the government of the country concerned.
Raising awareness of the case in your own parliament and with your own government.
Discussing the case with civil society organisations working in this area.
Join with other parliamentarians in taking individual action to advocate for specific prisoners, raise awareness of these and other prisoners, reduce their number, and highlight the country conditions that led to their imprisonment.
To learn more about the project please visit the USCIRF project
We particularly urge parliamentarians from Southeast Asia to advocate for Mr. Nguyen Bac Truyen, who was arrested and sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison on charges of “conducting propaganda” against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. He was released on May 2010. On July 30, 2017, he was again detained, arrested, and ultimately sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment on charges of “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration.” He is currently serving this sentence.
The Vietnamese government has targeted Truyen due to his human rights and religious freedom advocacy, particularly on behalf of Hoa Hao Buddhists. He is a 2011 recipient of Human Rights Watch’s Hellman/Hammett Award.
Let us know if you take up the case so we can use our social media channels to support your efforts by sharing it with others. Your efforts will give encouragement to the prisoner concerned that he has not been forgotten.