Tran Hiep, a Melbourne-based Vietnamese-Australian democracy campaigner, was detained by Vietnamese authorities in mid-September. He is facing allegations of terrorism and forging identity documents.
His wife, Chloe Dang, raised the alarm when Mr Hiep failed to board a flight from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on 18 September. Australian authorities have since informed Ms Dang that Mr Hiep is being held in the B34 pre-trial detention centre in Ho Chi Minh City.
Mr Hiep, who spent his 51st birthday in detention, is accused of being a member of Viet Tan. Vietnam describes Viet Tan as a terrorist group, while Human Rights Watch has characterised it as an opposition political party that operates openly and lawfully in countries including Australia.
According to a Vietnamese government statement, Mr Hiep was arrested entering Vietnam from the Cambodian border along with two other individuals, Nguyen Duc Thuan and Thai Cong Truong Son. Cambodian authorities have denied involvement in their arrest or detainment, stating the men were intercepted at the My Quy Tay border crossing.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to Mr Hiep's family. Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong stated she has made personal representations regarding the case, noting that political regimes in the region have different approaches to individual and political freedom compared to Australia.
Human rights advocates, including Amnesty International Australia, have expressed concern about the human rights situation in Vietnam and the Australian government's public silence on the matter. Ms Dang and Mr Hiep's lawyer, Alison Battisson, believe he was abducted from Cambodia, which they claim would be a violation of international law. Both Vietnamese and Cambodian authorities deny this occurred.