Pro-democracy activist Chau Van Kham says he wasn’t afraid of dying in a Vietnamese jail, knowing supporters in Australia would never give up on him.

In his first comments since returning to Australia, Mr Kham thanked everyone who had advocated for him throughout his four and half year ordeal.

He was reunited with his family in Sydney on Tuesday after representations from the federal government – including by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on a trip last month to Vietnam – led to his release.

“I never feared because I was sure I’m doing the right thing,” Mr Chau said on Thursday.

“I knew good people [back home] would help, never give up.”

Vietnamese police arrested the retired baker in January 2019 and a court later convicted him of terrorism, imposing a 12-year sentence.

The trial lasted a matter of hours and raised serious due process concerns.

The case was based on his affiliation with an opposition political party, Viet Tan, which operates lawfully in Australia.

Mr Chau expressed gratitude for the help he received from human rights groups, politicians, media, diplomats and even some kinder prison officers.

“Some of them, not all them, silently supported me … thank you very much,” he said.

His lawyer said it was with great joy Mr Chau returned a free man.

“I thank each member of my team who has devoted their time over the years,” Dan Phuong Nguyen said.

“We’ve worked closely together and tirelessly, and I thank them very much for their time and expertise completely on a pro-bono basis.”

Mr Kham’s wife and two children this week thanked their legal team and the Australian government for helping secure his release.

“We share this happy news that Chau Van Kham is well and has returned to his family today,” the family said.

Human Rights Watch says more than 150 political prisoners remain in detention in Vietnam for peaceful acts of free expression.

– AAP