(New York) – PEN America is deeply concerned about the health and welfare of Le Huu Minh Tuan, an editor and member of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam (IJAVN). Tuan’s health has deteriorated significantly since his arrest and detention in January 2021. PEN America urgently calls on the Vietnamese government to release him immediately, drop all charges, and provide the essential medical care he desperately needs.
Over recent months, Tuan has been unable to eat any solid food and he experienced substantial weight loss, persistent stomach discomfort, frequent loose stools with mucus and white foam, and numbness in his limbs. Tuan’s family reported this week that his health condition was critical.
Despite multiple requests, prison authorities have not provided Tuan with access to adequate health care. In April 2024, Tuan was taken to the hospital in Ba Ria, where a doctor performed a colonoscopy. However, Tuan has reported that the procedure was very short, raising concerns about the reliability of the test and accuracy of the results.
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.
According to PEN America’s Freedom to Write Index 2023, Vietnam was the world’s third-greatest jailer of writers, following China and Iran and tied with Saudi Arabia.
PEN America calls on the Vietnamese government to immediately provide Le Huu Minh Tuan with proper medical care including a colonoscopy performed at a reputable hospital and to release him on humanitarian grounds. The Vietnamese government must immediately allow Le Huu Minh Tuan to communicate with his family and send two letters home monthly without censorship. PEN America also calls on states to take urgent action on Tuan’s behalf by pressing the Vietnamese government to uphold its commitments to human rights and ensure the well-being of Tuan and all detainees.