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Once a vibrant voice in Việt Nam’s independent media, journalist Lê Hữu Minh Tuấn is now fighting for his life behind bars.

A member of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam (IJAVN), he was arrested in June 2020 and later sentenced in January 2021 to 11 years in prison under Article 117 for “conducting propaganda against the state.” He was arrested alongside fellow IJAVN members Phạm Chí Dũng and Nguyễn Tường Thùy.

Since his incarceration, Tuấn’s physical condition has deteriorated drastically. His family has reported a cascade of severe ailments, including bloody stool, ulcerative colitis, hepatitis, and chronic hemorrhoids that cause severe bleeding. His health crisis reportedly intensified in late 2023 and again in June 2025, with a recent family call on June 19 revealing persistent bleeding and no improvement despite antibiotic injections.

In a 2023 report by RFA Vietnamese, Tuấn was quoted as being “too weak to bear any more,” unable to keep down solid food and surviving mainly on milk and thin porridge. He has lost an alarming amount of weight, with reports estimating he has dropped below 40 kg (88 lb).

Despite these urgent symptoms, prison authorities have allegedly denied him proper medical care. Medications sent by his family have been confiscated, and he is only permitted to use medicine provided by the prison, which has reportedly worsened his condition. Instead of specialist examinations, he has only received cursory checkups at local facilities.

His medical neglect continues even as international bodies call for his freedom. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has declared his imprisonment arbitrary, a view shared by numerous rights groups. To date, these calls for his immediate release have been met with silence from Vietnamese authorities.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has demanded he be freed on humanitarian grounds to receive adequate medical treatment. Human Rights Watch (HRW) stressed Việt Nam’s obligation under the UN Nelson Mandela Rules to ensure prisoners have prompt access to specialized health care. Meanwhile, PEN America and other free expression advocates have long highlighted his case, demanding that a peaceful journalist be freed from unjust confinement.

"Tuấn’s pain and suffering during the last five years in prison is Việt Nam’s shame and he should be freed now,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s Southeast Asia Representative. Patricia Gossman of HRW added, “By wrongly prosecuting him and then not providing the health care he needs, the Vietnamese authorities are culpable for his worsening condition.”

This case is a symptom of a larger issue. Việt Nam ranks as the seventh‑worst jailer of journalists globally, with at least 16 detained as of December 1, 2024. Tuấn’s plight illustrates a systemic repression of independent voices, fueled by broad legal provisions like Article 117 that criminalize dissent. His suffering signals a deeper misuse of state power to silence peaceful critics, raising urgent concerns about human rights in the country.

Lê Hữu Minh Tuấn is not a criminal; he is a journalist who dared to speak truthfully. His case has come to embody the struggle of independent media in Việt Nam. To deny a man suffering from severe, potentially life‑threatening illnesses adequate medical treatment is not justice—it is cruelty. With his health in jeopardy and international pressure mounting, the responsibility falls upon Vietnamese authorities to act. Releasing Tuấn would not only save his life but also be a powerful step toward diplomatic credibility and compliance with international human rights standards.

Lê Hữu Minh Tuấn: A Journalist Suffering Behind Bars

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