Hanoi (Agenzia Fides) - The torture of prisoners, particularly prisoners for religious and political reasons, is still widely used in Vietnam. In 2013, the torture suffered by people held for their moral and political beliefs caused in some cases, death. This was denounced by "Christian Solidarity Worldwide" (CSW), the Christian NGO, based in London, which today launched a new campaign to abolish torture in Vietnam. According to a note sent to Fides, the campaign calls for "humane treatment of detainees and prisoners in Vietnam and the elimination of the practice of torture and other abuses in prisons, in police departments, rehabilitation centers and other places of detention".

A campaign to abolish torture in Vietnam requires specific steps that show progress on behalf of the government to eliminate it. Such steps, says CSW, are: the immediate ratification of the Convention against Torture; the ratification of the international convention against forced labor; the adoption of ad hoc legislative measures to abolish this practice.

In the note sent to Fides, Mervyn Thomas, CSW Director, explains: "In 2013, Vietnam was elected in the UN Human Rights Council and signed the Convention against Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. This year the government has the opportunity to demonstrate a real commitment to the promotion and protection of the rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights".