Vietnam sentences Montagnard pastor to 7.5 years in prison

A court in Vietnam’s Dak Lak province has sentenced 59-year-old Montagnard Protestant pastor Y Nuen Ayun to seven-and-a-half years in prison. He was convicted under Article 116 of the Criminal Code for “undermining the national unity policy.”

Prosecutors alleged that Ayun led unregistered Protestant activities since 2003 and helped establish the Church of Christ Central Highlands in 2019. The state claimed he maintained contact with a U.S.-based individual, A Ga, to discuss religious matters and raised approximately 7.7 million dong (roughly $294 or £225) to support efforts to create a separate religious organization for ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands.

Defense lawyers argued that the prosecution failed to demonstrate specific criminal acts meeting the legal threshold for conviction. Meanwhile, the religious freedom organization Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) criticized the ruling, stating that religious minorities in the region are often mischaracterized as separatist threats when they are simply seeking to practice their faith. CSW President Mervyn Thomas called for Ayun’s “immediate and unconditional release.”

Ayun was also sentenced to four years of supervised probation following his prison term.