http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hKpJmxcETg88pKwP9EazoKJPoNrw

In an annual report, the State Department last week found that Vietnam held at least 60 political prisoners at the end of 2009 including lawyers, activists and bloggers.

Leonard Leo, the chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, a government advisory body, welcomed Ly's release and urged the US ambassador to Vietnam to meet the freed priest.

"While this is good news for Father Ly, we continue to have grave concerns about Vietnam's deteriorating human rights situation," Leo said.