HANOI, Vietnam — Police roughed up an American diplomat in Vietnam and repeatedly slammed a car door on his legs when he went to visit a prominent dissident, an official in Washington said Thursday, detailing an encounter that prompted a strong U.S. protest.
Christian Marchant, a political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, was expected to make a full recovery, said the U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose details.
Neither the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi nor outgoing Ambassador Michael Michalak would describe the incident, but he said the U.S. had protested what occurred Wednesday in the central city of Hue.
“The United States government, both here in Hanoi and in Washington, has lodged a strong, official protest with the government of Vietnam regarding the treatment of one of our diplomats,” Michalak said.
He called the issue a matter of grave concern, saying foreign diplomats are protected under international law.
Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga said the government is reviewing the incident but added that foreign diplomats have a responsibility to abide by the host country’s laws.
U.S.-funded Radio Free Asia said Marchant was attacked outside the home of detained Catholic priest Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly.
