E/CN.4/1995/91 page 104 The Special Rapporteur has also been informed that evangelists are being subjected to close surveillance and have in some cases been arrested by the police. In July 1993, plaintiffs in a court in Istanbul called for the imprisonment of 14 Spanish members of a Protestant sect for having sung hymns and distributed Christian pamphlets near a mosque during worshippers’ prayers. The members of the Protestant sect were accused of disturbing the peace and were released on bail in August 1993. The activities of the Greek and Armenian Orthodox Churches are also reported to be under close surveillance. In addition, despite the interest regularly expressed by the Greek Patriarchate in reopening the seminary on the island of Halki, which was closed following its nationalization in the 1970s, a favourable reply has not been received from the authorities. The Armenian Church has had its land seized by Muslim extremist groups, notably on the Princes Islands. According to certain reports, non-Muslim minorities, primarily Orthodox Greeks but also Orthodox Armenians and Jews, have been confronted with the danger of losing their places of worship because of a law transferring ownership of unused religious buildings to the State. The Special Rapporteur has also received reports that members of the Alawi Muslim minority are suffering religious discrimination, particularly with regard to university entrance and promotion in their jobs. In Tunceli province, whose population is mostly made up of Kurds and Alawis, the mosque in the centre of the capital can be used only by Sunni employees of the central Government working in Tunceli." Viet Nam In a communication dated 18 August 1994, the Special Rapporteur transmitted the following information to the Government of Viet Nam: "Reports have been received that the right to freedom of religion is still being seriously infringed. As far as the Unified Buddhist Church is concerned, the Special Rapporteur has been informed about the trial at Ba Ria Vung Tau, at the beginning of January, during which Venerable Thich Hanh Duc, superior of the Son Linh pagoda, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and Venerable Thien Tho to 18 months’ imprisonment. Venerable Hanh Duc was reportedly arrested on 9 July 1993 with 25 other monks and almost 100 religious believers. According to reports thousands of the region’s faithful, who had flocked to the pagoda that day to defend him, were unable to prevent his arrest, which was carried out with the support of a large contingent of security forces, as the local security forces had had to call in reinforcements of armoured cars in order to enter the precincts of the pagoda. Venerable Hanh Duc is said to have been arrested for supporting the Unified Buddhist Church. Moreover, according to the information received, Very Venerable Thich Huyen Quang (see E/CN.4/1994/79) is still being kept in complete isolation under the permanent surveillance of the local security