SYDNEY – A leading human rights group has called on the federal government to put pressure on Vietnamese authorities to drop charges against “boat people” returned from Australia.

Human Rights Watch says despite previous written assurances from the Vietnamese government that the asylum seekers would face “no retribution for their illegal departure from Vietnam,” boat returnees continue to face substantial prison terms.

“Vietnam has blatantly broken its promise to the Australian government not to prosecute boat returnees,” said Human Rights Watch Australia director Elaine Pearson.

“Australia should tell the Vietnamese government to drop all charges immediately and release them.”

On Thursday, four asylum seekers who were forcibly returned to their country by Australia will appear in a Vietnamese court, charged with “organising for others to flee abroad illegally”.

If convicted, the four – Nguyen Dinh Quy, his wife Huynh Thi Kieu, Tran Thi Lua and Nguyen Minh Quyet – could face up to seven years in prison.

According to The Guardian, four others have already been jailed for two to three years for illegally leaving their country.