Vietnam Releases Jailed Priest Ahead of Obama's Visit

Vietnam has released a Catholic priest from prison in a goodwill gesture before President Barack Obama's arrival into the country on Sunday evening.

Rev. Nguyen Van Ly returned to the Catholic Archdiocese of the central city of Hue Friday after being in and out of prison for nine years.

The 70-year-old seemed frail as he was helped off of a minibus and then led to a room prepared for him at the diocese.

Since 1977, Ly who is considered the most prominent dissident, served several long terms in prison and house arrest for promoting political and religious freedom in the communist nation.

In 2007, after being convicted of spreading propaganda against the state, Ly was sentenced to serve eight years in prison. Ly would have completed this sentence if he had not fallen ill. In 2010 he was released on medical parole for 16 months. He returned in 2011 to resume serving his sentence and the five-year probationary period attached to it.

Ly's release is a small step as dozens of human rights groups sent an appeal to Obama urging him to press Vietnam to release political prisoners.

"We consistently have called for the release of Father Ly and all other prisoners of conscience in Vietnam," said Gabrielle Price, the department's spokeswoman for East Asia and Pacific affairs. "We remain deeply concerned for all prisoners of conscience in Vietnam. We call on the government to release unconditionally all prisoners of conscience and allow all Vietnamese to express their political views peacefully without fear of retribution."

In the appeal, Human Rights Watch and other groups focused on Vietnam told Obama that it is important "to make clear, both in private and in public, that (the) U.S.-Vietnamese relationship will not fundamentally advance absent meaningful human rights improvements, including the release of imprisoned activists, and end to harassment of civil society groups, and respect for international law."