Imprisoned online commentator and journalist Le Huu Minh Tuan must be released from prison in Vietnam on urgent humanitarian grounds, PEN America said today. Tuan’s health has drastically deteriorated during his imprisonment. Tuan has been in custody since 2020.
While in prison, Tuan has developed serious colon issues and has repeatedly been denied access to proper medical care, despite repeated requests by his family for examinations by independent, qualified doctors.
“The medical neglect faced by Tuan is both cruel and inhumane,” said Liesl Gerntholtz, managing director of PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Center. “Denying necessary medical treatment to an ailing prisoner is a blatant violation of human rights and international standards for prisoner treatment. No one should be subjected to suffering like this, especially while under the custody of the state.”
Vietnamese authorities arrested Tuan on June 12, 2020 and convicted him on January 5, 2021. Prison authorities have consistently denied appeals for medical care, leaving Tuan in worsening condition. The writer, who is serving 11 years in prison for “anti-state propaganda” due to his writings, called his family multiple times in June 2025, reporting bleeding and stating that the prison doctors have given him three antibiotic shots, but his condition has not improved.
Depriving Tuan of timely and adequate medical attention not only exacerbates his physical condition but also constitutes a form of punishment incompatible with human dignity, PEN America said.
PEN America urges Vietnam’s strategic partners, including the United States and the European Union and its member states, to raise Tuan’s case directly with Vietnamese authorities and demand his immediate humanitarian release and access to proper medical care. PEN America calls on Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security to allow independent medical professionals to examine Tuan without delay and ensure he receives the treatment he urgently needs.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.