HANOI: Vietnam imprisoned a leading critic of the communist regime for tax evasion yesterday -- a move described by the United States as “disturbing” -- as hundreds of supporters protested in the capital.
Scores of police formed a ring around the Hanoi court where lawyer and blogger Le Quoc Quan was jailed for two and a half years on charges denounced by rights campaigners as politically motivated.
“I am the victim of political acts,” Le Quoc Quan told the court, flatly denying the accusations and saying he had not been allowed to see the evidence against him. “I will continue my fight against corruption, attacking bureaucracy and stagnancy that are undermining our country,” he added.
The 42-year-old, who appeared in the dock looking tense and unhappy, was also given a $59,000 fine after a half-day trial.
The US embassy said it was “deeply concerned” by the verdict. “The use of tax laws by Vietnamese authorities to imprison government critics for peacefully expressing their political views is disturbing,” it said in a statement, calling for the release of all prisoners of conscience.
When the ruling was announced, Le Quoc Quan shouted “I object” before the television feed into the observation room. His company’s chief accountant, Pham Thi Phuong, 31, was given eight months in jail.
Le Quoc Quan, who blogged on a range of sensitive topics including civil rights, political pluralism and religious freedom, has been in detention since last December.
His lawyer Ha Huy Son told the court that there were “no grounds to prosecute” the blogger and that police had asked authorities to cook up the charges. AFP
