25/08/2022 (Agence Europe) – The European Union reacted to the Vietnamese Court of Appeal’s ruling upholding the conviction of activist Pham Doan Trang on Thursday 25 August. The latter was sentenced in 2021 to nine years in prison for “propaganda against the state”. Pham Doan Trang had published content on human rights and police violence in Vietnam. European External Action Service (EEAS) spokeswoman Nabila Massrali said that other activists also had their convictions upheld on appeal during August. These arrests and convictions of peaceful journalists and activists are contrary to international law, she added. “The European Union continues to call on the Vietnamese authorities to release all human rights defenders arbitrarily detained. We also call on the authorities to allow trial observation and to guarantee the right to a fair trial for all individuals”, the EU said. (LM)