Vietnamese environmental activist Hoàng Thị Minh Hồng was released from prison last Saturday after a year in jail. Hồng was arrested on May 31, 2023, charged with tax evasion on Sept. 28, 2023, and sentenced to three years in prison and a fine. Activist Trần Huỳnh Duy Thức, who had been in prison since 2009, was also released at the weekend. The release took place shortly before the Vietnamese head of state, General Secretary Tô Lâm, traveled to the USA. He will be attending the United Nations General Assembly there.