Le Huu Minh Tuan
Detained Since: June 12, 2020.
Charges: Article 117 of Vietnam’s Penal Code (2015) for “propaganda against the state.”
Sentence: 11 years in prison.
Biography: Le Huu Minh Tuan, a journalist and online commentator was arrested in June 2020 under Article 117 for "anti-state propaganda" due to his writings. Tuan was held incommunicado for five months and denied legal representation and family visitation. Leading up to his trial, he had limited access to his attorney. In January 2021, he was convicted and sentenced to 11 years in prison. He was amongst the three members of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam (IJAVN), Pham Chi Dung & Nguyen Tuong Thuy, who were also arrested and charged under Article 117. In February 2022, the Ho Chi Minh City court upheld the 11 year sentence during the appeal trial. Tuan was unable to meet with his lawyer prior to the trial due to “COVID-19 restrictions.” Despite being healthy during the initial trial, Tuan's health has deteriorated significantly in prison. He suffers from ulcerative colitis and other ailments and has been denied proper medical treatment.
During his family’s first visit in May 2022, Tuan reported health problems and unsanitary living conditions in prison. By early 2023, Tuan had been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and hepatitis and developed scabies but was only receiving basic medical care, which was inadequate given his conditions. When receiving medication from his family, the prison removed the labels and mixed the medications, rendering administration of the medication impossible. In November 2023, Tuan was taken to a hospital in Vung Tau after many requests from his family, however the doctor prescribed generic medicine that made Tuan’s condition worse.
In December 2023, Tuan’s family visited him in prison and Tuan was in critical medical condition and needed immediate medical assistance. According to Tuan’s family, his health has deteriorated to the extent that he can no longer ingest any food without experiencing vomiting. They were restricted to seeing him through a thick glass partition and communicating only via telephone; his family has witnessed his struggle to walk and describe him as “pale” and “only bone and skin.” Nonetheless, officials have refused to give him medicine sent by his family, instead only allowing the medicine they provide. The family formally requested medical assistance but the prison management department denied the request to transfer Tuan to a hospital for a check-up in January 2024. In April 2024, Tuan went to the hospital in Ba Ria and the doctor “conducted” a colonoscopy but Tuan reported that the exam was only 5-10 minutes and the family doubts the results. Tuan’s condition has worsened and his current health condition includes severe weight loss, indigestion, numbness in both calves, insomnia, dizziness, lightheadedness, confusion, chest pain and difficulty breathing. From January to July 2024, he has undergone four series of antibiotic courses and one round of supplements. He is continuously taking antibiotics or else he experiences intense pain. In October 2024, in a phone call to his family he reported a rapid decline in his health and is unable to eat solid foods and recently lost the ability to even drink milk. Despite repeated appeals to the prison medical officer, Tuan’s requests for medical treatment have been denied.
Tuan has also experienced disruptions of and possible prohibitions on his ability to communicate, including with his family. Under Vietnamese detention regulations, Tuan should be allowed to send two letters home each month. However, his family has only received four letters from him in the past five months (June-October 2024). This discrepancy raises significant concerns about potential censorship and possible unlawful restrictions of his communication.
Tuan's main requests are to receive immediate medical treatment, including a proper colonoscopy by a qualified gastroenterologist, and to be released from prison to reunite with his family.
Advocate: Rep. Derek Tran (D-CA)
Advocacy Partner: PEN America
Past Advocate: Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA, Ret.)