Trần Thị Thúy

Trần Thị Thúy is a Vietnamese land rights activist who was arrested in Vietnam in 2011. She is currently serving an 8-year jail sentence in An Phuoc Detention Center in Binh Duong. Tran Thi Thuy is a member of pro-democracy political party, Viet Tan

2010 Arrest On August 10, Thuy was arrested at her home by members of the Public Security without an arrest warrant. Thuy's family was not informed of the arrest until 10 days later, when they received a communique notifying them of the arrest.

2011 Conviction On May 30, during a one-day trial held in Southern Ben Tre, Thuy was charged under Article 79, attempting to overthrow the government, an article typically used to imprison peaceful activists, and sentenced to an eight-year prison term and five years under house arrest. Six other people were tried with Thuy, including Pastor Duong Kim Khai, Nguyen Thanh Tam, Pham Van Thong, Cao Van Tinh, Nguyen Chi Thanh, and Pham Ngoc Hoa. All seven defendants were charged under Article 79 of Vietnam's Penal Code and received jail terms between two and eight years

On September 2, 2016, upon visiting Thuy, her brother, Tran Anh Tuan informed Amnesty International that her health has seriously deteriorated and that she did not initially recognize who he was due to being in a confused state.

On October 11, 2016, an Amnesty International update said that Thuy's health was deteriorating rapidly. She had been in excruciating pain and her tumours had begun to ulcerate. Food and medication have continued to be withheld by authorities until she confesses.

International Response The arrest, conviction and mistreatment of Thuy has been condemned by various organizations and individuals worldwide. In 2011, Thuy's mother, Bui Thi Nu, wrote an appeal addressed to the UNHRC, International human rights organizations, media organizations, and friends from all over the world. The appeal disclosed the deliberate obstruction of Thuy's lawyer, who was ejected from the court during the trial, Thuy's deteriorating health conditions and denial of medical treatment, continuous threats made against Thuy. She urged the international community to demand justice and safety for her daughter. In 2012, Viet Tan called for urgent intervention from the International community of her harsh treatment. In December 2015, Amnesty International issued an urgent call to action to demand proper medical care for Thuy. The call to action states that this “denial of treatment in these circumstances could amount to torture and therefore a violation of the Convention against Torture, which came into force in Viet Nam in February after ratification last year. “ American Member of Congress, Loretta Sanchez Australian Member Parliament, Luke Donellan Canadian Member of Parliament, Judy Sgro American Member of Congress Joseph Cao American Member of Congress Zoe Lofgren American Member of Congress Dan Burton American Member of Congress Gerald Connolly American Member of Congress Daniel Lungren American Member of Congress David Wu American Member of Congress John Culberson American Member of Congress Judy Chu American Member of Congress James McGovern