ASIA/VIETNAM - Catholic lawyer and member of the Justice and Peace Commission in jail in Vinh

Vinh (Agenzia Fides) – Catholic lawyer and member of the Justice and Peace Commission, Le Quoc Quan, was arrested by police, together with Doctor Pham Hong Son. The two were arrested on 7 April for participating in the demonstration in defence of Cu Huy Ha Vu, the noted lawyer and activist for human rights who was condemned to seven years in jail “for anti-Government propaganda.”
The Church in Vietnam tells Fides that Le Quoc Quan is a practising Catholic, active in defending human rights, much appreciated by the local community. The lawyer should take a report to the next seminar announced by the Commission for Justice and Peace of the Vietnamese Bishops, to be held 27 May 2011 in Saigon, on the theme “Justice and Peace in Vietnam today” (see Fides 25/03/2011). Le Quoc Quan was educated in the United States and, returning to Vietnam he has stood out for his activities within the Church and in civil society, working for the defence of human dignity and human rights, and becoming part of the Commission for Justice and Peace in Vinh. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 9/4/2011)