Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Vietnam
Religion or Belief: Buddhist – Hoa Hao
Date of Sentencing: July/9/2025
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Ho Trong Phuc
Extra Bio Info:
Ho Trong Phuc is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.
Government officials repeatedly pressured Phuc to abandon his Hoa Hao Buddhist beliefs and embrace state-approved worship.
On July 9, 2025, Vietnamese authorities sentenced 17-year-old Phuc to one year in prison for “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State, the legitimate rights and interests of organizations” (Art. 331 VCC).
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Vietnam
Religion or Belief: Christian – Protestant
Date of Detainment: January//2025
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Nguyen Manh Hung
Extra Bio Info:
Nguyen Manh Hung is imprisoned for his religious activity and religious freedom advocacy.
In January 2025, Vietnamese authorities raided Hung's home, confiscated his belongings, and arrested him. Hung was an administrator at the unregistered Chuong Bo Protestant Church and a member of the Interfaith Council of Vietnam, a religious freedom advocacy group. He has been harassed previously for his pastoral work.
On October 30, 2025, authorities at Lâm Đồng Provincial People’s Court sentenced Hung to six years' imprisonment and five years of probation for “making and disseminating anti-state materials” (Art. 117 VCC).
Nov 21, 2025
Cuba and Nicaragua have ranked among the world’s most repressive governments toward religious freedom for years. In 2025, exiles and civil society organizations reported continuing severe restrictions on religious communities, including the banning of religious processions, surveillance and harassment of clergy, and legal constriction of religious groups. In some regards, the level of repression is escalating, considering indicators such as the re-imprisonment in June of a freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) victim previously released in January and the deaths of two religious freedom defenders in Nicaraguan custody in August. USCIRF has designated both nations as Countries of Particular Concern since its 2023 Annual Report.
On this episode of the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast, Commissioner Maureen Ferguson speaks with Anna Lee Stangl, joint Director of Advocacy and Latin America team leader at Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), about the violations facing religious communities in Cuba and Nicaragua.