A 12-year sentence against Pastor Nguyen Trung Ton was upheld under appeal on June 4th, along with the sentences of three other human rights defenders. He was previously imprisoned in 2011 on charges of "anti-state propaganda," and had been kidnapped and beaten in February 2017 (see this page).
Arrested again on July 30th, 2017, Pastor Nguyen was convicted in April 2018 of "carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the government." As part of a group called The Brotherhood for Democracy, he had been involved in supporting prisoners and their families, as well as advocating for democracy.
Many organizations and governments around the world have been working on behalf of the pastor and his colleagues. Despite these pleas, the Vietnamese appeal court upheld the original sentence, meaning that he will not be eligible for release until 2029. Please remember to uphold Pastor Nguyen in your prayers. Also pray for his wife, Nguyen Thi Lanh, and their two children.
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