Tran Quang Nam
Trần Quang Nam
Current Status: Pre-trial detention
Date of Birth: January 25, 1986
Gender: M
Ethnicity: Kinh
Occupation: Sales
Citizen: Y
Citizenship Status: Citizen (by birth, descent)
Human Rights Defender: Y
Known Prison(s):
B34 Detention Center, Ministry of Public Security in Cu Chi, Ho Chi Minh City (Unknown - present)
Activist Focus:
- Political change
- Environment
- Freedom of expression
- Sovereignty
Organizational/Political Party Affiliation:
Details
Photo Source: The photo provided to Project88 by Tran Quang Nam
Tran Quang Nam is a pro-democracy activist from Ha Nam province. He is a member of Green Trees, a group that advocates for environmental protection in Vietnam and has been active in public protests against pollution, deforestation, and other environmental issues.
Nam’s engagement with social and political activism began in 2011 during anti-China protests in Hanoi, which were sparked by Chinese ships disrupting a Vietnamese survey vessel by cutting its cables. At first, he only observed the weekly demonstrations around Hoan Kiem Lake, hesitant to participate because of safety concerns and the heavy police presence. This period, however, awakened his curiosity and led him to conduct extensive research into the East Sea disputes, deepening his interest in political matters.
In 2015, Nam's activism took a more direct form when the government announced an initiative to cut down 6,700 trees in Hanoi. Viewing this as an environmental cause rather than a purely political one, he felt compelled to take action. Nam became a member of Green Trees and joined organized events, including a bike ride around West Lake to advocate for preserving the trees. However, on April 26, 2015, the Vietnamese authorities cracked down on the protests. Nam was arrested, interrogated at a police station, and later visited by local police at his home. The harsh response shocked him, as he had regarded his environmental activism as a non-threatening cause. This experience marked his first deliberate and direct involvement in activism, solidifying his long-term commitment to social and environmental issues.
August 28, 2025: Arrested on unknown charges
August 28, 2025
District
Hồ Chí Minh City, Viet Nam
both judicial/extrajudicial
On September 22, 2025, Project88 spoke with Tran Hai Ha, Nam's brother, who reported that Nam’s family first learned of his arrest not from authorities, but through a Facebook post by activist Pham Thanh Nghien. Nam was arrested on the evening of August 28, 2025, in Ho Chi Minh City. That same night, police raided his accommodation and searched the premises. Nam's family reported that he is a member of Green Trees, an independent environmental group in Vietnam known for protesting pollution, deforestation, and the state.
A day after his arrest, police summoned Nam’s girlfriend, Dan Thanh, to the police station at 258 Nguyen Trai Street, Cau Ong Lanh Ward in Ho Chi Minh City for questioning. She was briefly permitted to see Nam and bring him clothing. Nam told her that although he had not been beaten, police had deprived him of sleep. Although Thanh was summoned for interrogations several more times, she was not permitted to see Nam again. Thanh was told by police that he was both a member of Viet Tan and the Assembly for Democracy and Pluralism.
On August 30, Nam’s sister-in-law, who had recently given birth, was summoned in Hanoi because the motorcycle Nam was riding when arrested was registered in her name. The following day, Ha was also summoned. Police asked him about Nam’s activism but he said he had nothing to share.
On September 8, still unaware of any official charges against his brother, Ha traveled to Ho Chi Minh City to seek information from the Ministry of Public Security’s Investigative Agency. Officials met with him for only ten minutes, saying only that Nam’s case concerned “national security” without clarifying if Nam had been charged and for what offense.
Finally, on September 22, Ha received a formal notice of temporary detention. The document, dated September 17, ordered that Nam be detained from September 8 until December 27, but did not specify any charges against him. Nam is currently being held at B34 Detention Center of the Ministry of Public Security in Cu Chi, the same facility as Ho Sy Quyet, a tireless activist known for his popular education activities to promote human rights. Quyet was also arrested on August 28 and is charged with "spreading propaganda against the state".
Sources that Project88 spoke to said that four other pro-democracy activists—Ly Quang Son (also known as Tran Quang Trung), Nguyen Van Tu, Nguyen Tuan Nghia, and a person identified only as Khanh—were detained at the same time as Tran Quang Nam and Ho Sy Quyet. While Project88 can confirm that Ly Quang Son and Nguyen Van Tu are being held at B34, the same facility as Nam and Quyet, it remains unclear exactly when Son, Tu, Nghia, and Khanh were arrested or what charges they face.
Profile last updated: 2025-10-31 03:41:45