Y Yich, an evangelical pastor from Vietnam, whom the German section of the ISHR presented together with the German evangelical news agency IDEA as ‘Prisoner of the Month January 2023’, was finally allowed to leave prison in mid-May.

The 59-year-old pastor belongs to one of the indigenous ethnic groups from the central highlands of Vietnam. Before his arrest, he had been campaigning for religious freedom and indigenous rights for many years. He was arrested on 13 May 2013 on charges of allegedly undermining the ‘national policy of solidarity’. Six months later, a court sentenced him to twelve years in prison followed by a five-year suspended sentence. He was accused of campaigning for religious freedom, calling for the protection of indigenous land and internet contacts with allegedly ‘reactionary’ forces. The court also accused him of having met with former political prisoners. He was reportedly tortured and denied medical help, despite suffering from high blood pressure and kidney stones, among other things. He was first imprisoned between 2006 and 2011 for reasons of conscience.

Vietnam’s communist regime persecutes the Montagnard mountain peoples, accusing them of religiously motivated separatism. Officially, the constitution of the communist-ruled country guarantees freedom of faith and religion. However, the Christian faith is often regarded as a Western religion and rejected. The ISHR would like to thank all supporters who have campaigned for Y Yich’s release.

Michaela Koller
ISHR Religious Freedom Expert