Environmental justice lawyer Dang Dinh Bach has dedicated his life to improving the health and livelihoods of people in Viet Nam and protecting them from the threats of pollution and climate change.
His organization, the Law and Policy of Sustainable Development Research Center (LPSD), was the first in Viet Nam to take legal action against the government and corporations for serious environmental and public health violations. The illegal disposal of pesticides and the increased risk of cancer caused by industrial pollution are just some of the issues they have fought against.
The organization’s work is crucial. Through their public campaigns and training, they raise awareness and help communities understand their rights, empowering them to confront powerful economic and political interests to protect their social, economic and environmental well-being.
But on 24 June 2021, Bach was arrested. His newborn son was just two weeks old. Bach was put in prison. LPSD was forced to close. Bach was charged with “tax evasion” and later sentenced to five years in prison following a trial which UN experts considered unfair. The court refused to hear Bach’s defence, and the prosecutor failed to disclose evidence. His wife was not allowed to attend her husband’s “public” trials.
Since 2021, at least five environmental and climate justice advocates have been charged with tax evasion, a tactic used by the Vietnamese authorities to silence the growing movement of activists calling on the government to protect the environment.
Bach should be allowed to continue his work to support the communities he cares deeply about. Instead, he is locked up and forced to endure poor prison conditions. His health has deteriorated, and he has been harassed by prison officers. He has not seen his young son since his arrest.