Released
Nguyen Bac Truyen (Nguyễn Bắc Truyển), a Vietnamese human rights defender and Hoa Hao Buddhist, was imprisoned in 2017 after being abducted by Vietnamese police. Truyen had provided free legal assistance to political prisoners’ families, victims of land seizures, and persecuted religious communities. In April 2018, he was sentenced to 11 years for “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the government.” Throughout his detention, he endured serious mistreatment, prompting a hunger strike in 2019 to protest the abuse of fellow prisoners.
Truyen was unexpectedly released on September 8, 2023, shortly before President Biden’s visit to Vietnam, and immediately traveled to Germany. His release, reportedly influenced by German advocacy, marked the end of six years of imprisonment. Now in exile, Truyen expressed relief at his freedom and determination to continue advocating for human rights from abroad, while adjusting to his new life in Germany with his wife.