Vietnam: Attack on Human Rights Lawyer Mr Le Quoc Quan

A Vietnamese attorney who works in human rights activism needs real, sincere protection from Vietnam's government.

(SALEM) - A prominent human rights lawyer in Vietnam, Mr Le Quoc Quan, was attacked near his home in Hanoi and the suspects he believes, have ties to police.

An outspoken attorney for human rights; Le Quoc Quan represents people who are suffering from human rights violations. He also has a popular blog that addresses myriad problems experienced by the citizens of this communist country.

He writes about subjects ranging from civil rights, to political pluralism and religious freedom. His history includes participating in protests against China's territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Le Quoc Quan has experienced persecution since 2007, when he was was detained for three months and charged with taking part in “activities to overthrow the people's government”. He was only released after political pressure from international protests, according to Front Line Defenders.

Le Quoc Quan was arrested as recently as last year, as he protested outside the trial of fellow human rights defender. He was disbarred from the Hanoi Bar Association in 2008 as a result of his human rights activism.

Mr. William Nicholas Gomes, our Human Rights Ambassador, asks Mrs. Margaret Sekaggya, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; United Nations Office at Geneva, to petition the Vietnam government to take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of Le Quoc Quan and his family.

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Mrs. Margaret Sekaggya
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders,
c/o Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights – Palais Wilson
United Nations Office at Geneva
CH 1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland

Re: Vietnam: Attack on human rights lawyer Mr Le Quoc Quan

Dear Mrs. Margaret Sekaggya,

I am William Nicholas Gomes, Human Rights Ambassador for Salem-News.com.

I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the attack on human rights lawyer Mr Le Quoc Quan that I have been informed by Front Line Defenders.

According to the information received from frontline defender, on 19 August 2012, prominent human rights lawyer Mr Le Quoc Quan was attacked near his home in Hanoi. He believes that the police were behind the attack. As well as providing legal representation to those who are persecuted for claiming their rights, Le Quoc Quan runs a blog.

In this blog he writes about various issues including civil rights, political pluralism and religious freedom. He has also participated in a number of protests against China's territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Attack

On 19 August, at approximately 8:00 pm, Le Quoc Quan was attacked by three men dressed in plain clothes while walking towards his home from a nearby car park. He was struck three times with steel rods, on the knee, thigh and back, and he also sustained injuries to the head and stomach. The attackers fled the scene when passers-by heard his cries for help. He was hospitalised at the Central Hospital of Transport and Communications in Hanoi. Le Quoc Quan believes that the attack was carried out by police or people connected to the police and that it was meant to discourage his human rights activities, according to Front Line Defenders

Le Quoc Quan has been persecuted in the past for what the authorities consider to be his dissident activities. In 2011, he was arrested while protesting outside the trial of fellow human rights defender Mr Cu Huy Ha Vu and detained for a week. In 2008, he was disbarred from Hanoi Bar Association for his human rights activism. Furthermore, in 2007, Le Quoc Quan was detained for three months and charged with taking part in “activities to overthrow the people's government”. He was later released following international protests, according to Front Line Defenders.

Along with Front Line Defenders, I condemn the attack on Le Quoc Quan and I am deeply concerned for his physical and psychological security. Given the history of harassment and intimidation, I along with Front Line Defenders believe that the attack may be motivated by Le Quoc Quan's legitimate activities in the defence of human rights.

I urge you to ask the Vietnam government to carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the attack on human rights defender Le Quoc Quan, with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;

I also urge you for your urgent intervention into the case.

Please ask the Vietnam government to take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of Le Quoc Quan and his family.

Please also ask the Vietnam government to guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Vietnam are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.

Yours sincerely,

William Nicholas Gomes

Human Rights Ambassador for Salem-News.com

www.williamgomes.org

http://www.facebook.com/notes/william-nicholas-gomes/vietnam-attack-on-human-rights-lawyer-mr-le-quoc-quan/394614980605040

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Salem-News.com Human Rights Ambassador William Nicholas Gomes is a Bangladeshi journalist, human rights activist and author was born on 25 December, 1985 in Dhaka. As an investigative journalist he wrote widely for leading European and Asian media outlets.

He is also active in advocating for free and independent media and journalists’ rights, and is part of the free media movement, Global Independent Media Center – an activist media network for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate telling of the truth. He worked for Italian news agency Asianews.it from year 2009 to 2011, on that time he was accredited as a free lance journalist by the press information department of Bangladesh. During this time he has reported a notable numbers of reports for the news agency which were translated into Chinese and Italian and quoted by notable number of new outlets all over the world.He, ideologically, identifies himself deeply attached with anarchism. His political views are often characterized as “leftist” or “left-wing,” and he has described himself as an individualist anarchist.