#StandWithBach and ALL Climate Defenders

Join us in commemorating the third anniversary of Dang Dinh Bach’s wrongful imprisonment and fight for the release of all climate defenders.

Three Years of Injustice

June 24th, 2024, marks the third anniversary of the wrongful arrest and imprisonment of environmental lawyer and climate justice advocate, Dang Dinh Bach, on trumped-up charges and under harsh and degrading conditions.

Bach, a leader in Vietnam's climate movement, has been unjustly detained since 2021, facing inhumane conditions that put his life and health at risk.

A Timeline of Events:

The Inhumane Conditions Bach Faces

Life-Threatening Treatment

During the summer of 2024, Bach suffered several life-threatening asthma attacks and was found unconscious due to the stifling heat and lack of oxygen in his cell.

Prison officials moved Bach to a cell with only one fan just before a historical heatwave in Vietnam, a move that his family and supporters believe was intentional and meant to increase his suffering.

Bach’s access to the common yard was terminated, restricting him to a small enclosed patio with no shade. These conditions led him to undertake a 5-day hunger strike from June 24-29, protesting the treatment of himself and other prisoners.

Advocacy Efforts and Partial Improvements

Small Victories, Ongoing Struggles

Thanks to sustained advocacy efforts, Bach received a second fan in July 2024 and permission to open his cell door during the day, improvements that likely saved his life.

Despite this, prison authorities continue to deny him adequate medical care, as Bach was exposed to Tuberculosis in August 2024 and has yet to receive proper treatment.

His family is still unable to provide him with sufficient food, and Bach remains barred from accessing the prison library, common spaces, and social interactions that other detainees enjoy. These ongoing violations of the UN's Nelson Mandela Rules constitute inhumane and degrading treatment.

Global Solidarity Letter-Writing Campaign

Raise Your Voice: Join the Global Solidarity Campaign

In recognition of the extreme injustice and human rights violations Bach is enduring, we are launching a global solidarity letter-writing campaign starting June 24th, 2024.

We call for the immediate release of Bach, Hoang Thi Minh Hong, and all other unjustly incarcerated climate leaders.

Share your support on social media using the hashtags #StandWithBach, #FreeClimateLeaders, #FreeHong, and #FreeThemAll."

How to Participate

Bach has requested that the international community write letters to him in prison and call on global diplomats to raise his case with the Vietnamese government. While individual letters might not reach him directly, they will show prison officials the global support behind him.

Join us in writing to diplomats and government decision-makers abroad, urging them to call for Bach’s release and request a humanitarian visit.

Sample Letter to Bach:

Dang Dinh Bach Prison No. 6 in Hạnh Lâm Ward Thanh Chương District, Nghe An VIETNAM

Dear Mr. Bach,

I’m writing to you to let you know I stand in solidarity with you and the other climate defenders who have been wrongfully imprisoned in Vietnam. 

As one of the countries in the world most vulnerable to climate change, we understand the importance of Vietnam’s efforts to address this global challenge and know that advancing environmental, climate and energy justice for the people of Vietnam is impossible without your and your colleague’s freedom and participation. We also believe that your unjust incarceration undermines civil society participation in the energy transition process, which is a fundamental aspect of a “just” energy transition. 

The reports about your inhumane treatment and worsening health are deeply distressing. Please know the world is watching and you have many supporters around the globe. 

I’m thinking of you and sending you my support. We hope you can stay strong. We will continue to do all we can so that you and others will walk free and be reunited with your family, friends and colleagues as soon as possible.

Signed,

[NAME]

Where to Send Your Letter:

Address your letters to Dang Dinh Bach at the following address:

If you prefer to write something yourself, here are sample statements to use :

  • • June 24th marks the third anniversary of the wrongful imprisonment (which the UN Human Rights Council has declared a “violation” of international law”) of environmental justice lawyer and climate advocate, Dang Dinh Bach.

    • I call for the immediate release of environmental lawyer, Dang Dinh Bach, who is serving a five-year prison sentence in Vietnam on trumped-up tax evasion charges after advocating for the country’s movement away from coal, as well as Hoang Thi Minh Hong who was convicted to three years in prison on similar charges.

  • • Reports directly from Bach highlight the inhumane conditions he is enduring where he is incarcerated, including denial of sufficient food, medicine, medical treatment, or social contact with other prisoners or his family.  

    • The government’s failure to ensure basic, fundamental rights and minimum standards of treatment for prisoners in Vietnam violates its responsibilities under the Convention against Torture.

  • • The Vietnamese government has committed to net zero emissions by 2050 and was given US $15.5 billion for a Just Energy Transition Partnership to implement clean energy solutions, but this cannot succeed with climate leaders like Bach in jail.

    • Bach is one of four members of the Vietnam Sustainable Energy Alliance who were imprisoned in Vietnam, despite playing an instrumental role in the country’s ambitious climate commitments. 

    • Targeted attacks on climate leaders in Vietnam severely limit–or perhaps eliminate–genuine opportunities for consultation with civil society, an essential part of the Just Energy Transition Partnership.

  • • We must act now to safeguard Bach’s life, as well as Vietnam’s ability to successfully transition away from coal and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

    • Bach is a climate champion and should not be punished for his participation in Vietnam's clean energy transition.

    • Last year, the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found Bach's imprisonment to be a "violation of international law" and expressed concerns about a "systemic problem with arbitrary detention" of environmental defenders in Vietnam.

    • The green energy transition will not succeed until environmental defenders can speak openly and lead freely.