Parliament calls on the Vietnamese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release human rights defenders and journalists Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy, and Le Huu Minh Tuan, as well as all others, detained and sentenced in the country for merely exercising their right to freedom of expression, and to drop all charges against them.
MEPs are appalled by and condemn the intensifying crackdown on dissent and the increasing violations of human rights in Vietnam.
They reiterate that respect for human rights constitutes a key foundation of the bilateral relations between Vietnam and the EU and is an essential element of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. Parliament calls on all involved parties to make use of the existing EU-Vietnam agreements to improve the human rights situation in the country. It asks the European Commission and the European External Action Service to carry out an assessment of how the current free trade agreement could affect human rights in Vietnam.
The text was approved by 592 votes in favor, 32 against, and 58 abstentions.
