Tran Hiep, a Melbourne-based Vietnamese-Australian democracy campaigner, has been held in pre-trial detention in Vietnam since mid-September on charges including terrorism and forging identity documents, according to Vietnamese authorities. His detention has caused distress to his wife, Chloe Dang, who has not been able to contact him since his arrest.

Hiep, who turned 51 last month, was detained shortly after failing to board a flight from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on September 18, where he had been meeting with human rights defenders. Vietnamese officials later confirmed he was being held at the B34 pre-trial detention centre in Ho Chi Minh City, a site reportedly associated with human rights abuses against political prisoners.

His wife expressed deep concern over his isolation, highlighting the emotional toll of his birthday spent alone in detention. Dang has called for Hiep’s immediate and unconditional release.

Hiep is the latest in a series of Australian human rights activists detained in Vietnam in recent years. In 2019, Chau Van Kham, another Vietnamese-born Australian and member of the pro-democracy group Viet Tan, was arrested and sentenced to 12 years in prison on financing terrorism charges. Kham was released in 2023 after serving four years. Hiep, a freelance IT professional and founder of the Australian Alliance to Combat Human Trafficking, is also accused of membership in Viet Tan, which the Vietnamese government classifies as a terrorist organization.

Human Rights Watch has described Viet Tan as an opposition political party that operates legally in several countries, including Australia, a characterization disputed by the Vietnamese government.

Vietnamese authorities stated that Hiep was arrested while entering Vietnam from the Cambodian border alongside Nguyen Duc Thuan, a fellow human rights activist who holds a Norwegian passport, and Thai Cong Truong Son, a third individual detained in the operation. Cambodian officials have denied involvement in the detentions, stating the three men were intercepted at the My Quy Tay border crossing.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular support to Hiep’s family but has declined to comment due to privacy considerations. Foreign Minister Penny Wong acknowledged making personal representations regarding Hiep’s case but refrained from detailed public remarks, citing sensitivity around diplomatic efforts.