Human Rights Group Urges Vietnam to Free Detained Land Activist Cấn Thị Thêu Amid Health Concerns

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Vietnamese authorities to immediately release Cấn Thị Thêu, a 64-year-old land rights activist serving an 8-year sentence for "state subversion," citing her deteriorating health in prison. "The UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners [the Nelson Mandela Rules] stipulate that: 'All prisons shall ensure prompt access to medical care in cases of emergency. Prisoners who require specialist medical care or surgery shall be transferred to the appropriate prison hospital or civil hospital,'" said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at HRW, in a press release on July 27. Thêu is currently detained at Detention Center No. 5 in Thanh Hóa province. Her daughter, Trịnh Thị Thảo, reported that her mother has been suffering from severe abdominal pain since July 14, experiencing fever, chills, and elevated blood pressure. During a visit on July 17, the family noted that Thêu complained of pain throughout her abdomen, which had also spread to her lower abdomen. According to Thảo, Thêu initially took Berberine medication brought by her family, but it did not alleviate her symptoms. On the morning of July 17, the prison clinic conducted an ultrasound, but the head of the clinic stated there was "nothing unusual" and prescribed painkillers. Thảo expressed deep concern over her mother's worsening health and the "perfunctory" medical treatment. She also noted that Thêu's left wrist had developed a bruise, and her fingernails had turned black. On July 20, Thảo submitted an urgent petition to five relevant agencies requesting that Thêu be examined by specialists in a fully equipped hospital. To date, only the Thanh Hóa Provincial People's Procuracy has responded, informing her on July 23 that her petition had been "forwarded" to Detention Center No. 5. The family has received no further updates. Thêu has a history of similar health issues. In January 2026, she experienced dizziness and tremors for two weeks, making it difficult to walk without assistance. During both instances, prison officials reportedly ignored her requests for independent medical examination and treatment. Thêu has been imprisoned three times for her activism, primarily related to land disputes. She was sentenced to 15 months in 2014 for "obstructing public officials" and 20 months in 2016 for "disturbing public order" following protests against land confiscation. She was arrested again in 2020 and, in December 2021, was sentenced to 8 years for "producing, storing, disseminating, or spreading information, materials, and items against the State" under Article 117 of the Penal Code. Her sons, Trịnh Bá Phương and Trịnh Bá Tư, are also serving prison sentences for similar charges. HRW also highlighted that other political prisoners at Detention Center No. 5, including Trần Đức Thạch, Nguyễn Năng Tĩnh, and Phan Văn Bách, are experiencing health problems. Reports from previous years detail deaths of political prisoners attributed to illness and poor prison conditions, including the case of Vương Văn Thả, who died in prison on September 2, 2026, with authorities claiming suicide, a cause disputed by his family. While the Vietnamese government labels individuals like Thêu as "anti-state elements," HRW and other human rights organizations consider them "peaceful democracy activists." Information source: BBC Vietnamese