By Maureen Harris, Senior Advisor
June 24, 2025, marks a grim anniversary: four years since environmental lawyer Dang Dinh Bach was unjustly arrested in Vietnam. Bach’s imprisonment — deemed arbitrary by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention — is a profound injustice, silencing an important voice dedicated to a more sustainable future for communities in Vietnam and around the world.
Bach’s contributions to Vietnam’s environmental landscape are significant. He co-founded and directed the Law and Policy of Sustainable Development Research Center (LPSD), one of Vietnam’s first public interest law firms. He worked to empower communities and give them a voice in Vietnam’s legal system, advising villagers affected by illegal dumping of industrial waste, air pollution from coal plants, and the devastating loss of land and livelihoods due to hydropower dam construction.
Bach played a key role in reforming Vietnam’s Environmental Protection Law and helped usher in legislation limiting plastic production and imports, and banning asbestos. Through his work with regional networks, Bach was instrumental in shaping legal frameworks and advocacy efforts to safeguard the Mekong River and its communities, particularly the 20 million people in the vulnerable Mekong Delta in Vietnam threatened by upstream dams and extractive industries. He advocated for a shift away from coal and other destructive energy projects to build a clean and sustainable energy system for Vietnam. Beyond policy, Bach was a mentor, training over 100 young lawyers in environmental and public interest practice.
Despite his wrongful incarceration, Bach’s commitment to justice and the environment continues. From behind bars, he continues to advocate for the rule of law and truly sustainable development in Vietnam and around the world. His work has garnered international recognition, notably as the recipient of the prestigious 2024 Roger N. Baldwin Medal of Liberty. As international investments flow in support of a “just energy transition” in Vietnam, it is critical to remember that real progress cannot be made while environmental champions like Bach are silenced.
International Rivers continue to #StandWithBach, urging for his immediate and unconditional release, allowing him to return to the vital work that benefits us all.
Read the statement from the Vietnam Climate Defenders Coalition below.