From Vietnam to Geneva, activist Hue Nhu fights for freedom and human dignity

March 18, 2026

Vietnamese anti-corruption activist and former political prisoner Dang Thi Hue, known as Hue Nhu, addressed the Geneva Summit on Human Rights and Democracy in February 2025 to discuss freedoms and human rights violations in Vietnam. The former teacher was imprisoned from 2019 to 2023 for participating in protests against corrupt toll road projects, and after facing continued harassment following her release, she was abducted in May 2024 before escaping to Thailand and eventually settling in Germany as a political refugee. During her summit speech, she described systematic violations of her rights, including being denied the ability to speak at her own trial, having supporters blocked from attending court, and experiencing ongoing surveillance and intimidation that extended to her fellow activists.

Who is affected

Dang Thi Hue (Hue Nhu), the Vietnamese activist and former political prisoner
Hue Nhu's four lawyers who were prevented from speaking during her trial
Hue Nhu's family, friends, and supporters who were blocked from attending her trial
Hue Nhu's friends and fellow activists in Vietnam who have been pursued by authorities, including one who was detained for three days and beaten with electric batons
Vietnamese citizens who are forbidden from speaking out against the government
Human rights advocates and activists in Vietnam facing persecution

What action is being taken

Hue Nhu is speaking at the Geneva Summit on Human Rights and Democracy
She is living in Germany as a political refugee (as of June 2025)
Security forces throughout Vietnam are relentlessly pursuing her friends and fellow activists
Human rights organizations like PEN America and Viet Tan are advocating for her and raising awareness about Vietnam's human rights violations

Why it matters

This matters because it exposes systematic human rights abuses and authoritarian suppression of dissent in Vietnam, a country often viewed primarily as a tourist destination or business opportunity rather than as a place where activists face imprisonment, torture, and exile for speaking out against corruption. Hue Nhu's testimony at an international forum preceding the UN Human Rights Council's main session brings critical visibility to these violations and challenges the international community's conscience. Her case demonstrates how speaking out against government corruption can result in denial of due process, imprisonment, ongoing harassment, and forced exile, sending a chilling message to other Vietnamese citizens about the dangers of demanding transparency and accountability.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices