May 6, 2025 — In recognition of Vietnam Human Rights Day on May 11, Legal Initiatives for Vietnam (LIV) stands with PEN America, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and other leading human rights organizations in urging U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to press the Vietnamese government for the immediate release of imprisoned journalists and writers, and to repeal laws that suppress freedom of expression.
In a joint letter addressed to Secretary Rubio, the coalition highlights Vietnam’s alarming status as one of the world’s leading jailers of journalists. The letter calls for the release of prominent journalists and writers, including Pham Doan Trang, Le Huu Minh Tuan, Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy, and Nguyen Vu Binh, who have been unjustly imprisoned for their courageous reporting.
The letter also urges the U.S. to address Vietnam’s use of vague and overly broad provisions in its Penal Code, such as Articles 117 and 331, which criminalize free expression and dissent. Additionally, it highlights the Vietnamese government’s utilization of its Cybersecurity Law, Decree 53, and Decree 147 to suppress free expression, monitor online activity, and target dissent by mandating data localization and data handovers.
“Vietnam continues to crack down on free expression and is a leading jailer of journalists and writers in the world,” the letter states. “Journalists and writers have been targeted under vague and overly broad provisions of Vietnam’s Penal Code, such as Articles 117 and 331, which criminalize free expression and dissent.”
LIV Interim Executive Director Trinh Huu Long emphasized the importance of international solidarity: “Vietnam Human Rights Day is a moment to reaffirm our commitment to press freedom and to stand with those who risk everything to speak the truth. We urge Secretary Rubio to take decisive action to support Vietnamese journalists and writers facing persecution.”
The coalition’s letter also calls for the U.S. to facilitate humanitarian visas and financial assistance for Vietnamese journalists, writers, and dissidents facing persecution, including those impacted by the defunding of U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), such as RFA and VOA journalists. It further urges the allocation of funding and resources to independent media outlets and organizations promoting free expression and press freedom in Vietnam.
About Legal Initiatives for Vietnam (LIV): Founded in 2014, LIV is a U.S.-registered nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Vietnam through independent journalism, legal advocacy, and civic education.
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