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A Vietnamese-American mathematician was convicted by a “People’s Court” in Hochiminh City today of terrorism and sentenced to a whopping … 6 months. Since he’s been held for 5 months and 26 days, he’ll be released in 4 days and free to return to the U.S., which has called the charges against him ludicrous.

Quan Quoc Nguyen, Ph.D., of Sacramento, was arrested on November 17, 2007 for possession of a document entitled “From Dictatorship to Democracy,” an analysis of nonviolent democracy movements from the Ukraine to Lebanon.

His organization, the California-based Viet Tan political party, held a press conference today in Westminster, where his very relieved wife Huong Ngo (pictured with her husband’s portrait) appeared and said again that she’s in full support of her husband’s activities.

Eyewitnesses of the trial in Vietnam told the press conference by internet phone that the Vietnamese court took only 6 hours to hear all purported evidence, arguments from both sides, and render a decision. Nguyen was sentenced to 6 months and is expected to leave the country in 4 days. A Vietnamese citizen co-defendant was sentenced to time served, and a Thai citizen was sentenced to time served plus 3 months.

“Terrorist” has become a favorite label for the communist government of Vietnam to slap on political dissidents, especially those with U.S. citizenship. Read more here.

This Vietnamese email came through the Bolsavik’s trough today. Apparently, incumbent OC Supervisor Janet Nguyen is short of campaign funds. It seems that the Van Tran camp’s strategy of hitting her in the pocketbooks worked. She says she’s short by $25,000.

If you’re new to the Bolsavik, Janet Nguyen is in a three-way all-Vietnamese race, with Garden Grove City Councilwoman Dina Nguyen and attorney Hoa Van Tran challenging her to represent the First Districton the OC Board of Supervisors.

All three have been running into controversies in recent weeks. Most serious seems to be Hoa Van Tran and his defective financial disclosures. The fact that neither Nguyen has jumped on it, however, seems to indicate that neither considers him a serious threat.

Click here for all posts related to this election.

Right at this moment, when it’s late night in California and afternoon in Vietnam, a Vietnamese-American mathematician is being tried by a “People’s Court” in Hochiminh City.

Quan Quoc Nguyen, Ph.D. (pictured), from Sacramento, is accused of “terrorism,” and his alleged terrorist acts consist of handing pro-democracy flyers to his friends. He has been held since November 2007.

Also standing trial with Nguyen are a Thai citizen and a Vietnamese citizen. The three are affiliated with Viet Tan, a political party based in the United States opposed to communist rule. Viet Tan (itself not free from controversy among anti-communists) has created a web site called FreeThemNow.net to demand the release of these and other political prisoners.

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