On Thursday 5 April, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) criticised the sentencing earlier that day of six human rights activists in Vietnam as part of an extensive enforcement of national security provisions.
"The sentencing today of Mr Nguyen Van Dai, Ms Le Thu Ha, Mr Pham Van Troi, Mr Nguyen Trung Ton, Mr Nguyen Bac Truyen and Mr Truong Minh Duc (...) continues the negative trend of prosecuting and sentencing human rights activists and bloggers in Vietnam",...