Dang Dinh Bach is a Vietnamese lawyer specialising in environmental protection and an activist committed to climate justice. He is the co-founder and former Executive Director of the Law and Policy of Sustainable Development Research Center (LPSD), where he dedicated his work to assisting communities affected by environmental harm — including industrial pollution, forced displacements linked to hydroelectric dam construction, and the impacts of coal-fired power plants. Through his research and advocacy, he supported Vietnam’s transition towards cleaner, renewable energy sources.
On 24 June 2021, Dang Dinh Bach was arrested at his home by Vietnamese police. A few days later, state media announced he had been charged with ‘tax evasion’ under Article 200 of the Criminal Code. He was held in pre-trial detention for seven months, during which his contact with family and lawyers was extremely limited. On 24 January 2022, following a trial in which he had been able to meet his lawyers only once — ten days prior — he was sentenced to five years in prison. His appeal was subsequently rejected on 11 August 2022. Following his arrest, the authorities dissolved the LPSD.
Dang Dinh Bach is part of a group of six environmental defenders and energy experts imprisoned in Vietnam since 2021 on similar charges, primarily relating to ‘tax evasion’.
The circumstances of their arrests and trials present numerous irregularities in the light of comparable cases, leading several international organisations to regard these prosecutions as politically motivated. All were involved in research or advocacy aimed at supporting Vietnam’s energy transition — notably the gradual shift away from coal towards renewable energy.
In May 2023, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Dang Dinh Bach’s imprisonment was arbitrary and constituted a violation of international law, calling for his immediate release. In July 2025, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders expressed concern that his case is part of a systemic pattern of arbitrary detention targeting environmental defenders in Vietnam.
The conditions of Dang Dinh Bach’s detention have raised serious concerns. According to UN experts, he has been subjected to “deplorable” conditions and discriminatory treatment, including physical assaults. His access to food and water has reportedly been restricted, including the vegetarian meals his family attempted to bring him. For extended periods, he was confined to a small cell shared with another detainee and had very limited access to fresh air. During the summer months, exposure to extreme heat and inadequate ventilation reportedly caused severe health problems. In response to these conditions, he reportedly carried out several hunger strikes in protest.
