Dinh Nguyen Kha

Current Status: Released - at risk

Other Names: Đinh Nguyên Kha

Date of Birth: 1988

Gender: M

Ethnicity: Kinh

Last Known Prison: Xuyen Moc prison, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province

Areas of Activism:

Democracy
Human rights

Highlighted Human Rights Concerns:

Former Political Prisoner

Immediate Concerns

October 2018:

After six years in prison, political prisoner Dinh Nguyen Kha was released. In prison, he was denied medical care and often participated in collective hunger strikes. On October 11, Kha was released and sent home by ambulance; he faces three years of probation.

Details - Background, History of Activism, Family Situation.

Background

Dinh Nguyen Kha is a computer engineer.

History of Activism

Dinh Nguyen Kha has participated in activism regarding Vietnamese territorial maritime disputes with China.

Family Situation

Kha's brother, Dinh Nhat Uy, was arrested on June 15, 2013, and charged under Article 258 of the 1999 Criminal Code for "abusing democratic freedoms." On October 29, 2013, he received a 15-month suspended sentence at trial in Long An. Uy is also known for his activism regarding Vietnamese-Chinese territorial maritime claims.

Kha's mother, Nguyen Thi Kim Lien, reflected on her son's imprisonment and its impact on her life for the ocasion of International Women's Day in 2017. Read her thoughts, here.

Resources

Defend the Defenders's archives

Viet Nam: Neccessary Medical Treatmeent Denied to Prisoner: Dinh Nguyen Kha, Amnesty International, February 20, 2017 (PDF)

Vietnamese Activist Released From Prison After Serving Six-Year Term, Radio Free Asia, October 11, 2018

Arrested October 11, 2012. Sentenced to 6 years in prison under Art. 88 (1999 Code), Art. 104 (1999 Code). Released October 11, 2018.

Arrest October 11, 2012

Charges

Art. 88 (1999 Code)
Art. 104 (1999 Code)

Authority of Arrest

Location (map)

Trial May 16, 2013

Court of First Instance

Defense Counsels

Sentence 6 years in prison

Expected Release October 11, 2018

Actual Release October 11, 2018

Rights Violated

Actions Taken By

Details of Imprisonment

Arrested in October 2012, and tried on May 16, 2013, Dinh Nguyen Kha and Phuong Uyen were sentenced in Long An to six and eight years in prison under Article 88 of the 1999 Criminal Code for distributing information regarding protesting Vietnamese-Chinese maritime sovereignty claims.

In March 2016, Dinh Nguyen Kha went on a hunger strike, along with prisoner Tran Huynh Duy Thuc and three others, to protest their treament in prison. He has reported back on the mistreatment of Thuc, specifically, for advocating for the rights of other prisoners. He also participated in a similar hunger strike in 2015.

Physical Health History

Prior to arrest: healthy

February 2017:

Dinh Nguyen Kha has been denied medical treatment in prison after undergoing an operation to remove a stomach tumor; he is in pain and living in dismal conditions. He has also spent time in solitary confinement and has been involved in at least collective hunger strikes. See Amnesty International's Urgent Action in the "Resources" section below for more information on his health condition.

Actions Taken

May 2013:

Human Rights Watch called for Kha's and his co-defendant, Uyen's, releases ahead of their trial.

February 2017:

Amnesty International released an Urgent Action, calling attention to Kha's deteriorating medical condition in prison and demanding proper treatment.

Profile last updated: 2020-08-07 18:49:33