By Christine Khamis

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

 

HANOI, Vietnam – 

A blogger and his assistant, Nguyen Huu Vinh and Minh Thuy, were charged with publishing anti-state articles in a Vietnamese court last week. Mr. Vinh, who was previously connected to Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party as a police officer, received a five year prison sentence. His assistant, Ms. Thuy, received a three year sentence.

Mr. Vinh and Ms. Thuy had been detained and imprisoned since 2014. Mr. Vinh’s wife states that his health has declined during his detention.

The trial for Mr. Vinh and Ms. Thuy lasted only one day. A number of protesters gathered outside of the court to call for the bloggers’ release, chanting “innocent”, according to Associated Press.

Mr. Vinh and Ms. Thuy were charged for posting articles on a blog called “Ba Sam”, which drew millions of viewers. Mr. Vinh started the blog in 2007, with the aim of educating readers by exposing them to news coming from a variety of perspectives.

The blog published news and commentary from a number of contributors on political, social, and economic issues. The indictment against Mr. Vinh and Ms. Thuy listed 24 articles that contain “untruthful and baseless content” and that distort the state’s policy.

Judge Nguyen Van Pho of the People’s Court of Hanoi, where Mr. Vinh and Ms. Thuy underwent trial, claims that the posted articles “distort the lines and policies of the party and law of the state”, according to BBC News. Mr. Vinh and Ms. Thuy’s lawyers state that there is no evidence against them, and both Mr. Vinh and Ms. Thuy maintain that they are innocent. Ms. Thuy says that she does not know who wrote or posted the articles on Ba Sam.

While Vietnam is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a prominent human rights treaty that protects expression critical of government and leaders, it continues to weather criticism for its crackdown on dissent.

Vietnam’s only political party is the Communist Party, and its government disapproves of dissent that questions the Communist Party. Media is especially heavily monitored by authorities, because the internet has increasingly become a forum for criticism of the government.

Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the U.S. State Department’s embassy in Hanoi have all called for Vietnam’s authorities to drop the charges against Mr. Vinh and Ms. Thuy.

 

For more information, please see:

Associated Press – Vietnam Sentences Prominent Blogger for Anti-State Posts – 23 March 2016

BBC News – Vietnam bloggers: Nguyen Huu Vinh and Minh Thuy Jailed – 23 March 2016

Humanrights.gov – Vietnamese Government’s Decision to Convict Bloggers Nguyen Huu Vingh and Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy – 23 March 2016

Human Rights Watch – Vietnam: Drop Charges Against Prominent Bloggers – 22 March 2016