Are Christian inmates allowed to use the Bible in Vietnam?

Are Christian inmates allowed to use the Bible in Vietnam?

Article 50 of the Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments 2019 regulates the regime for physical exercise, sports and cultural and art activities and use of prayer books, expression of belief, religions of inmates, accordingly:

1. Inmates may participate in physical exercise, sports, cultural and art activities, read books, listen to radio and watch television suitable to the conditions of the places where they serve the sentences.

Each prison department may have a library, playing and sports grounds and be equipped with a public address system and each communal prison cell shall be equipped with a television set.

2. The timing of physical exercise, sports, cultural and art activities, reading books, listening to radio and watching television conforms to prison regulations.

3. Inmates practicing religions shall be entitled to use prayer books legally published in the printing form and express their belief and religions as per the law on belief and religions.

Pursuant to Article 6 of the 2016 Law on Belief and Religion, it stipulates everyone's right to freedom of belief and religion as follows:

1. Every person has the right to freedom of religion and folk belief and the right to follow or not to follow a religion.

2. Every person has the right to manifest the faith of religion or folk belief and to perform religious and folk religious rites; participate in festivals; learn and exercise religious law and tenets.

3. Every person has the right to pursue a monastic life in religious establishments and pursue education in religious educational institutions and religious organizations’ supplementary courses. Adolescents require the permission of their parents or guardians for pursuing a monastic life in a religious establishment or pursuing education in a religious educational institution.

4. Dignitaries, sub-dignitaries and monastics have the right to perform religious rites, to preach and to do missionary work in religious establishments or at legitimate locations.

5. People held in detention pursuant to the legislation on temporary detention, people serving time in prison, people sent to a reformatory, compulsory education institution or compulsory rehabilitation center have the right to read scriptures and manifest their faith of religion or folk belief.

6. The government shall stipulate detail on the maintenance of the rights defined in Section 5 of this Article.

Therefore, according to the above regulations in Vietnam, while serving a prison sentence, you are still allowed to use the Bible and express your beliefs and religion.

Are Christian inmates allowed to use the Bible in Vietnam? (Image from the Internet)

What is handling of cases of escaped inmates in Vietnam?

According to Article 42 of the Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments 2019, regulations on handling of cases of escaped inmates are as follows:

1. When an inmate escapes, the prison or detention camp, the criminal judgment execution agency of the provincial-level police department or district-level police office or the criminal judgment execution agency of the military zone shall promptly organize pursuit for such inmate and report the criminal judgment execution management agency and notify the competent people’s procuracy. Within 24 hours from the time of detecting that an inmate has escaped, if the pursuit is still in vain, the superintendent of the prison or detention camp of the Ministry of Public Security or the Ministry of National Defense, the head of the criminal judgment execution agency of the provincial-level police department or military zone shall release a wanted notice and organize the pursuit.

Every case of escape must be recorded in a report and subject to deterrent measures, investigation and handling under the criminal procedure law.

2. When an escaped inmate turns himself/herself in, the agency receiving him/her shall make a report and handle him/her according to its competence or deliver him/her to the nearest criminal judgment execution agency for handling under law.

Thus, when an inmate escapes from the place of serving his sentence, it will be handled according to the order prescribed above in Vietnam.

Best regards!