Y Tup Knul has been named as “Prisoner of the Month July 2026”. Knul from Vietnam has been named as a victim. They are calling for action on behalf of the 56-year-old. The mountain dweller from the central highlands of Vietnam has been behind bars since October 6, 2020. Around 9:00 a.m. that day, three plainclothes police officers on motorcycles arrived at his home in the village of Ecam in the Krong Ana district (Dak Lak province) and asked him to come with them for questioning, which he did. Only later did the police inform his wife in writing that her husband had been arrested.

Knul was formerly an Adventist and thus belonged to a state-registered denomination. However, in 2018 he converted to the Degar Evangelical Church, which is not registered. Since then, Knul has been questioned several times. The police accused him of joining a separatist group, an accusation frequently levelled against members of unregistered Christian communities.

In a summary trial, he was sentenced on April 19, 2022, to several years in prison. The court’s vague charge ultimately amounted to participation in an organization aimed at overthrowing the government. The exact sentence was not made public. The International Society for Human Rights (ISHR), together with IDEA, is requesting appeals to Vietnamese President To Lam, citing the right to freedom of religion under Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Vietnam is a signatory.

Sample letter

President Tô Lâm
Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Elsenstraße 3
12435 Berlin-Treptow

Your Excellency,

The Vietnamese Christian Y Tup Knul has been in custody since October 6, 2020. On that day, he was initially only asked by the police to give a statement. Media reports indicate that he was sentenced to several years in prison on April 19, 2022. The court accused him of participating in an organization aimed at overthrowing the government. The exact sentence was not made public.

Knul had already been interrogated several times before his arrest . The police investigation began after his conversion to the Degar Evangelical Church. The mountain dweller from the central highlands of Vietnam was simply exercising his right to freedom of religion.

Vietnam is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to freedom of religion in Article 18. I therefore urge you to do everything in your power to secure Y Tup Knul’s release.

Respectfully