As a folow up to our reports back in June we notice today that the BBC has reported that..
Vietnamese authorities have charged a leading human rights lawyer with working to overthrow the state – a more serious charge than he initially faced.
They write:
Le Cong Dinh, arrested in June, was first accused of a lesser charge of spreading anti-government propaganda.
He had strongly advocated free speech while defending two other dissident lawyers two years ago.
Mr Dinh is expected to go on trial in the next few weeks, alongside three other dissidents.
Western diplomats and human rights groups have expressed concern about Mr Dinh’s case.
Violation
The new prosecution charges, announced on Tuesday and reported by state media on Wednesday, are against Mr Dinh, Internet activist Nguyen Tien Trung, and fellow defendants Tran Huynh Duy Thuc and Le Thang Long.
Mr Dinh, Mr Trung and Mr Thuc face a minimum of 12 years in prison or even the death penalty, the Thanh Nien newspaper reported.
Full report at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8429351.stm
