Thousands of Vietnamese Catholics took part in vigils in the cities of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, and Vinh on Sunday to protest the continued imprisonment of Le Quoc Quan, a Catholic lawyer.
AsiaNews reported that Le Quoc Quan, a member of the Commission for Justice and Peace of the Vietnamese bishops’ conference, has been harassed and detained repeatedly for his defense of human rights.
The lawyer is scheduled to appear in court on October 2, the report said.
Authorities arrested Le Quoc Quan in December for alleged tax evasion. Human rights groups from around the world have condemned the arrest.
The lawyer wrote in his blog last year that Vietnamese authorities “may well send me to jail, but for this I will not stop believing in the value of the human being.”
Le Quoc Quan has been locked up in Hoa Lo Prison without any contact with his family or his lawyer. If convicted he could face up to three years in jail.
Sources
Image: AsiaNews