Voice of America June 17: Vietnam Releases Pro-Democracy Lawyer Ahead of President's Visit to US

Washington D.C., June 17, 2007

Vietnam has released a detained pro-democracy lawyer, just days before the Vietnamese president is to visit the United Sates.

Vietnamese officials released Le Quoc Quan Saturday. He was detained in March after returning from a five-month fellowship in the United States.

His detention has been part of a wider crackdown by Vietnamese authorities on democracy activists that has drawn criticism from U.S. authorities. President George Bush has said he plans to bring up the crackdown when he meets in Washington with Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet on June 22.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-06-17-voa3.cfm