GENEVA - 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.
"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.
