Vietnamese activists imprisoned for promoting multiparty democracy

Last week, four activists in Vietnam received lengthy prison sentences for promoting democracy,according to the Guardian.

The four, who received sentences of between five and sixteen years after a one-day trial, were found guilty of violating Article 79 of Vietnam's criminal code, which prohibits "carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people's administration".

While Nguyen Tien Trung, who received a seven year sentence, showed remorse, defendants Le Thang Long and Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, who received sentences of sixteen and five years respectively, claimed they had done nothing wrong and only signed confessions under duress.

International condemnation of the sentences:

Peter Lysholt Hansen, the Danish ambassador to Vietnam, was able to watch the trial with journalists via closed-circuit television,according to Al Jazeera English.

He told reporters: "There are serious concerns about the whole process...We will very strongly urge the government of Vietnam to grant amnesty to all four."

Ivan Lewis, a British Foreign Office minister, has said he was "deeply concerned" by the sentences, commenting "Nobody should be imprisoned for peacefully expressing their opinions".

Amnesty International has described the four activists as "prisoners of conscience", and called for their immediate release, along with America's consul-general Kenneth Fairfax.