ICC Note: In yet another case of the Vietnamese government actively working to shut down Christianity across the country, a Mennonite Pastor has had his sentence of 11 years in prison upheld for "undermining the government policy of unity".
07/31/2012 Vietnam (Washington Post) - An appeals court in Vietnam has upheld the 11-year sentence given to a pastor of an outlawed Mennonite church. Authorities say he gave interviews to foreign media and posted articles online that distorted the country’s religious and human rights situations.
The 43-year-old Nguyen Cong Chinh was convicted of undermining the government policy of unity at a trial in March. He appealed the sentence.
Judge Pham Ba Son said Tuesday there was no new evidence that constituted a sentence reduction at a half-day hearing in central Gia Lai province.
Vietnam’s communist government has tight control over society and all churches must get government approval to operate.
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