Thirty-seven U.S. senators are asking Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet to release a dissident Roman Catholic priest serving prison and house arrest terms totaling 13 years.In a letter sent through the Vietnamese Embassy, the senators said the Rev. Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly, 63, had no lawyers during his four-hour trial and was silenced repeatedly by a security guard who put his hand over the priest's mouth, then removed him from the courtroom.
The letter also requested information about Ly's health and welfare.
Signers included the Senate's assistant majority leader, Democrat Richard Durbin, and his counterpart for the Republicans, Jon Kyl.
The initiative was organized by Freedom Now, which advocates freedom for political prisoners.
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