GENEVA (3 December 2025) – UN experts* today expressed
deep concern over the extradition of Vietnamese Montagnard
human rights defender and UNHCR-recognised refugee Y Quynh
Bdăp from Thailand to Viet Nam, warning that his return
exposes him to a serious risk of torture or other
ill-treatment, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention
and other grave human rights violations.
“We
strongly condemn the extradition of Y Quynh Bdăp by
Thailand,” the experts said. “This transfer violated the
obligation of non-refoulment,
which prohibits the removal of any person to a country where
there are substantial grounds for believing that they would
face a real and foreseeable risk of arbitrary deprivation of
life, torture and other ill-treatment, enforced
disappearance, arbitrary detention, a flagrantly unfair
trial, or other serious harm. This obligation applies
without exception, regardless of a person’s nationality or
migration status.”
Bdăp is the co-founder of
Montagnards Stand for Justice, a non-violent organisation
advocating for the rights and freedoms of the Montagnard
people in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam. He has been a
UNHCR-recognized refugee in Thailand since 2019 and was in
the process of resettlement to a third country at the time
of his extradition.
Y Quynh Bdăp was arrested by the
Thai Immigration Police on 11 June 2024 following an
extradition request from Viet Nam, after having been
convicted in absentia and sentenced to ten years’
imprisonment on unjustified terrorism charges in proceedings
that raised serious fair trial concerns. On 30 September
2024, the Bangkok Criminal Court found sufficient grounds to
proceed with extradition, a decision that was upheld by the
Court of Appeal on 26 November 2025. Bdăp was returned to
Viet Nam on 28 November 2025, and his family and legal
representatives were unable to ascertain his whereabouts for
many hours, until his transfer was confirmed on 29 November
2025. His current whereabouts in Viet Nam remain
unknown.
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“We are deeply troubled by Bdăp’s
situation,” the experts said. “He appears to have been
deprived of liberty due to his peaceful exercise of
fundamental rights, including the rights to freedom of
opinion and expression, freedom of religion or belief, and
the right to defend human rights.”
“Thailand has
an obligation to protect everyone within its jurisdiction
from transnational repression and from interference by
foreign authorities with these fundamental freedoms,” they
said.
The experts recalled that both Thailand and Viet
Nam are parties to the Convention against Torture and the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and
that Thailand is also a party to the International
Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced
Disappearance. These treaties impose obligations to prevent
torture and related ill-treatment, enforced disappearance,
arbitrary detention, and to ensure fair-trial guarantees and
protection of the rights to life, liberty, and personal
integrity. Thailand is also bound by its Prevention and
Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act
(2022), which expressly prohibits the expulsion, deportation
or extradition of a person to a State where there are
substantial grounds for believing that the person would be
at real risk of torture or enforced
disappearance.
“We call on the Government of Viet
Nam to fully respect Bdăp’s rights under international
law, guarantee his protection from torture and
ill-treatment, ensure access to independent legal counsel,
meaningful appeal, family contact, and independent
monitoring,” they said. “Any detention must strictly
comply with the Nelson Mandela Rules.” “We further call
for the urgent review of his conviction and a right of
effective appeal.”
The experts had previously raised
this case directly with both Governments in 2024
and 2025.
They will continue to closely monitor the situation and
pursue follow-up action under their
mandates.
Notes:
*The
experts:
- Mary
Lawlor, Special
Rapporteur on the situation of human rights
defenders - Ben Saul,
Special
Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights
and fundamental freedoms while countering
terrorism - Gabriella Citroni
(Chair-Rapporteur), Grażyna Baranowska (Vice-Chair), Ana
Lorena Delgadillo Pérez, Aua Baldé and Mohammed
Al-Obaidi, Working
Group on Enforced or Involuntary
Disappearances - Nazila
Ghanea, Special
Rapporteur on freedom of religion or
belief - Irene Khan,
Special
Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to
freedom of opinion and
expression - Margaret
Satterthwaite, Special
Rapporteur on the independence of judges and
lawyers
