The Committee to Protect Journalists and a coalition of press freedom and freedom of expression organizations issued a joint statement on Thursday calling for the immediate release of Vietnamese journalist Pham Doan Trang on the occasion of her 48th birthday.
Trang, a former CPJ International Press Freedom Award winner, is serving a nine-year prison sentence under Article 117 of the penal code, a provision that bans making or spreading news against the state in Vietnam’s highly censored and state-dominated media environment.
The statement notes that Trang suffers from various health ailments, including chronic sinusitis, arthritis and gynecological issues. It also says her case is emblematic of Vietnam’s broader crackdown on journalists and others who dare to exercise their right to free expression.
The statement was also signed by Legal Initiatives for Vietnam, Reporters Without Borders, PEN International, and PEN Sweden.
Read the full statement here.