#StandWithBach and ALL Environmental Defenders

Join us in commemorating four years of Dang Dinh Bach’s wrongful imprisonment and fight for the release of all wrongfully imprisoned environmental and climate defenders.

Four Years of Injustice

June 24, 2026 marks the fourth anniversary of the trial and sentencing of environmental lawyer and climate justice advocate, Dang Dinh Bach, on unfounded charges and under harsh and degrading conditions.

Bach, a leader in Vietnam's environmental 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, 2024, 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 denied access to 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 contravene the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules).

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 continue to call for a global solidarity letter-writing campaign.

We call for the immediate release of Bach and all other unjustly incarcerated environmental and climate defenders.

Share your support on social media using the hashtags #StandWithBach, #FreeDangDinhBach, #DefendtheDefenders, 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. Dang Dinh Bach,

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

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 colleagues’ 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 :

  • • January 24th, 2026 marks the fourth anniversary of the trial and sentencing of environmental lawyer and climate justice advocate, Dang Dinh Bach. His imprisonment has been deemed arbitrary and in violation of international law by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

    • I call for the immediate release of environmental lawyer, Dang Dinh Bach, who is serving a five-year prison sentence in Vietnam on unfounded tax evasion charges after advocating for the country’s shift away from coal.

    • Reports directly from Bach highlight the inhumane conditions he is enduring where he is incarcerated, including denial of sufficient food, medicine, medical treatment, and restricted contact with other prisoners and 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 UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules).

    • The Vietnamese government has pledged to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. International partners will support Vietnam in mobilizing US $15.5 billion for a Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) 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, a coalition of Vietnamese NGOs, who were imprisoned in Vietnam, despite playing an instrumental role in advocating for the country’s shift away from coal and securing its ambitious climate commitments. 

    • The silencing of Vietnam’s environmental defenders severely limits democratic and participatory consultation with civil society, rendering the “Just” component of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) meaningless.

    • 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 an environmental defender and a lawyer and should not be punished for his participation in Vietnam's energy transition.

    • The UN 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 energy transition will not succeed until the work of environmental defenders is respected and protected.