Norwegian Diplomat Visits Detained Citizen Nguyen Duc Thuan in Vietnam Amid Health Concerns

Key summary

Norwegian diplomatic officials met with citizen Nguyen Duc Thuan while he was in Vietnamese detention on October 16. Thuan, a human rights activist and member of the pro-democracy organization Viet Tan, stated during the visit that he is receiving diabetes tablets instead of the insulin injections he requires. He disappeared in Cambodia on September 18 before appearing in Vietnamese custody, where he faces terrorism-related and document-forgery charges linked to an alleged illegal border crossing. His family and human rights organizations believe he was forcibly taken from Cambodia to Vietnam, a claim disputed by Vietnamese authorities who say he was arrested at the border. Fellow activist Tran Hiep, an Australian citizen, is also detained under similar circumstances. Norway's Foreign Ministry has prioritized the case. State Secretary Astrid Bergmål was scheduled to raise Thuan's detention with Vietnamese officials during her visit on October 18 for the signing of the European Free Trade Association's free trade agreement with Vietnam. Human Rights Watch has called for the release of three detained men and access for consular officials. Thuan's family filed a criminal complaint in Norway regarding his alleged enforced disappearance.