American citizen from Orange County detained in Vietnam gets trial date

A Vietnamese American man from Orange County who has been detained in Vietnam for almost a year is expected to face trial this month.

Michael Nguyen, of Orange, will be tried in Ho Chi Minh City on June 25 (which falls on June 24 in the U.S.)  His family is still unclear on the specific charges and say he is “severely disadvantaged and unable to properly defend against any accusations against him.”

Nguyen, an American citizen, was investigated for violating Article 109 of Vietnam’s penal code, accused of conspiring to overthrow the government. If convicted, he likely faces between 12 and 20 years in prison. The crime also carries a potential death sentence, though no one believes that is being considered.

The 55-year-old, also known as Michael Minh Phuong Nguyen, was arrested last July while traveling through the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang. Family members said he was visiting relatives and friends and was not involved in politics. But they said Nguyen may now be “lumped together” with others arrested who may have previously protested ground water contamination in Vietnam.

Mark Roberts, Nguyen’s brother-in-law, said Nguyen has had monthly visits from U.S. Embassy and Consulate representatives since his arrest, but they haven’t been allowed to discuss the case. Nguyen also has been denied any contact with family members or attorneys, and Roberts said Nguyen likely will be represented by a court-appointed attorney.

Nguyen’s wife, Helen, who works as a surgical nurse at UC Irvine Medical Center and a Kaiser Permanente hospital, said that since her husband’s detention she has pulled extra shifts while taking care of the couple’s four school-age daughters.

The family is concerned about whether Nguyen will receive a fair trial.  The system seems to be “stacked against him,” Roberts said, especially with so little information available and little opportunity to prepare for a defense.

“We want to see some sort of closure and are very hopeful that the government in Vietnam will do the right thing, but of course we’re anxious,” Roberts said.

Nguyen’s release has received support from a bipartisan coalition of legislators, including those who have called on President Trump to make Nguyen’s case a priority. In April, a delegation led by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, raised his case with senior Vietnamese officials during a visit to the country on other matters. And in February, Rep. Katie Porter, D-Irvine, invited Helen Nguyen as her guest during President Trump’s State of the Union address as a way to call attention to the family’s plight.

“Michael Nguyen deserves a fair resolution to his case…and should be released to his family,” Porter said in an e-mail Monday. “American citizens must be treated consistent with our values of due process and the rule of law, regardless of where they travel.”