Vietnamese activist’s health suffers after prison discipline

Vietnamese prisoner of conscience Hoang Duc Binh told his family he finds it hard to walk after being shackled by the leg for 10 days.

Binh, 41, is serving a 14-year sentence at An Diem Prison in Quang Nam province after being convicted of "resisting on-duty state officials" and "abusing democratic freedom" while protesting against pollution from the Formosa Steel plant in 2016.

On March 26, he protested after prison guards confiscated inmates’ belongings. He was then held in solitary confinement and chained by the leg. He was also denied family visits or phone calls from April 5 and barred from receiving parcels and letters from relatives for three months.

Prison authorities wrote to Binh’s family on April 29, saying he was disciplined for failing to obey orders, having an abusive attitude and insulting prison officials.

Five days after the disciplinary term expired, on July 10, his family was allowed to visit him. 

"Binh said that right now his health is not good, he has some serious illnesses,” Binh’s brother, Hoang Duc Hao, told Radio Free Asia.

“Recently, he has been urinating blood and walking unsteadily, his legs are shaky and he has severe back pain."

Binh said he asked authorities for a medical examination, saying his family would pay for it, but the prison ignored the request.

His brother told RFA Binh already suffered from back pain and sinusitis before his arrest in 2017. After being tortured in pre-trial detention he also started suffering from headaches and ringing in the ears.

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Former prisoner of conscience Huynh Dac Tuy was a fellow inmate of Binh’s before his release on April 19. Tuy said Binh was very weak because he only ate instant noodles, cakes and bananas sent by fellow inmates while in solitary confinement.

Tuy said when he was released in April Binh still had a leg injury after being shackled for a long time.

Do Thi Thu, wife of political prisoner Trinh Ba Phuong, said her husband told her political prisoners were locked in their cells for more than three months, and not allowed out to mix with other inmates.

Although Binh’s disciplinary term has ended, he is still not allowed to phone home each month because he continues to protest about his treatment and that of other inmates.

An Diem Prison is one of the harshest detention facilities in Vietnam with frequent complaints by political prisoners that they are beaten, placed in solitary confinement and shackled.

In September last year, Trinh Ba Phuong and Phan Cong Hai were beaten and disciplined with their feet shackled after protesting against harsh treatment and human rights violations.

RFA called An Diem Prison to verify the information but no one replied.

Translated by RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Mike Firn.