human rights defender

Can Thi Theu

Actions and Campaigns

Urgent support needed

Medical assistance

HRD's year of birth

1962

HRD's Gender

Woman

Type of HRD

  • Other

HRD's thematic area of engagement

  • Land rights

HRD's geographical origin

Urban

Current Status

In prison (sentenced)

HRD's bio and work

Can Thi Theu is a human rights defender and land rights activist who - along with her husband, Mr Trinh Ba Khiem, and sons, Mr Trinh Ba Phuong and Mr Trinh Ba Tu - has campaigned against land grabbing in the region of Dong Tam, Vietnam, to highlight its impact on small-scale farmers across the country.

Because of her activism, Can Thi Theu has been detained three times by Vietnamese authorities.

Detained since

Jun 24, 2020

Charge(s)

  • Anti-government propaganda

Sentence

8 years in prison

Latitude: 20.03410027013791

Longitude: 105.51975058907048

Geolocation of detention

Country or area of detention

Region of detention

  • Asia: South-eastern Asia

Location of detention - City/Town

Yen Dinh District, Thanh Hoa Province

Location of detention - Facility

Prison number 5

Allegations / reports of ill-treatment

Can Thi Theu has been tortured and detained in inhumane conditions. She has been harassed and beaten by prison guards, held in a cell with extreme heat without ventilation, denied access to food and water as well as to medical care, and detained in a location far away from her family. Her healh has severely deteriorated as a result of the ill-treatment.

At a recent family visit, Can Thi Theu was unable to walk unsupported. Her family fears she may have suffered a stroke and denied adequate medical care.

Recent case update / evolution

On 5 May 2021, the Hanoi People’s Court sentenced Can Thi Theu to 8 years in prison on the charge of “preparing, publishing and disseminating video clips and writing distorted contents that sow confusion among the people in order to oppose the state” (Article 117 of the Criminal Code of Vietnam).

Any other relevant documents

Joint communication, UN special procedures, AL VNM 6/2021: https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=26765

Joint communication, UN special procedures, AL VNM 6/2022: https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=27619

Joint communication, UN special procedures, AL VNM 8/2025: https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=30638

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