An appeals court in central Vietnam has confirmed a harsh sentence imposed on a Catholic activist accused of trying to overthrow the nation’s communist government. Attorney Dang Dinh Manh said on Oct. 18 that the Superior People’s Court upheld John Baptist Le Dinh Luong’s sentence of 20-years’ imprisonment to be followed by five years of home detention.

Attorney Manh, one of two lawyers who acted for Luong in court, said the defendant, aged 53, was also deprived of the right to government employment. During the quick trial, the court building in Vinh City was tightly guarded and surrounding streets were blocked off.