Van Trang Nguyen is a Vietnamese democracy activist and victim of transnational repression.
As a prominent member of the Brotherhood for Democracy to promote human rights and democracy in Vietnam, Nguyen has faced relentless repression from Vietnamese authorities, including having his passport confiscated and being expelled from university.
In 2017, Nguyen suffered injuries after he was targeted in an acid attack by Vietnamese security agents. The next year, Nguyen fled Vietnam for Thailand where he was granted refugee status. In December 2018, Vietnamese police issued an arrest warrant for Nguyen on trumped-up charges of “activities aimed at overthrowing the government.”
While in Thailand, Vietnamese authorities repeatedly pressured his family members to reveal Nguyen’s exact location in hopes of forcibly repatriating him to Vietnam.
In 2024, Nguyen and his family were granted political asylum in Switzerland where he continues to fight for human rights in Vietnam.