Human rights defender Ms Pham Thanh Nghien has been held in prison since she was arrested on 18 September 2008 for attempting to stage a peaceful protest. Her family has recently learned that her trial is expected to take place on 17 December 2009 in Hai Phong. Pham Thanh Nghien is a member of Bloc 8406, a pro-democracy network of human rights defenders and organisations which began working in 2006 by publishing a Manifesto on Freedom and Democracy in Vietnam. Pham Thanh Nghien is the 2009 recipient of the Human Rights Watch Hellman/Hammett Award.