During the week, Vietnam’s authoritarian regime carried out the first-instance hearing to try blogger Le Van Dung (aka Le Dung Vova) and the appeal hearing of democracy fighter and human rights defender Do Nam Trung.
On March 23, the People’s Court of Hanoi found Mr. Dung guilty of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 88 of the Penal Code for his posts on Facebook and Youtube. He was sentenced to five years in prison followed by a five-year probation.
One day later, the Higher People’s Court in Hanoi rejected the appeal of Mr. Trung, keeping the sentence of ten years in prison and four years of probation given by the People’s Court of Nam Dinh province in the trial held in mid-December last year. Trung was arrested in early July last year on the allegation of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code which replaced the Penal Code in 2018.
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Blogger Le Dung Vova Convicted of “Conducting Anti-state Propaganda,” Sentenced to Five Years in Prison
Defend the Defenders, March 23, 2022
On March 23, at the first-instance hearing, the People’s Court of Hanoi found local blogger Le Van Dung (aka Le Dung Vova) guilty of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 88 of the country’s Penal Code and sentenced him to five years in prison followed by five years of probation.
During the so-called open trial, none of his relatives, including his wife and his mother, was allowed to enter the courtroom although his lawyer Dang Dinh Manh said the security measures applied by the local authorities in the court areas during the hearing were not as strict as in other political cases. The trial lasted from early morning to early afternoon of Wednesday.
Human rights attorneys Manh and Ha Huy Son presented defense statements saying their client is innocent but exercised his rights of freedom of expression and journalism, however, the judge ignored them. Dung also claimed his innocence and declared that he will appeal the court’s decision.
Mr. Dung, 52, was arrested on June 30 last year and charged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code. However, after investigation, the Hanoi Police Department changed the charge to Article 88 of the Penal Code which was replaced by the Criminal Code from 2018.
Mr. Dung has been involved in social affairs since 2011 when he actively participated in peaceful demonstrations in Hanoi to protest China’s expansionism in the East Sea (South China Sea). He has taken part in CHTV, a news and forum channel on Youtube and Facebook to address many hot topics in Vietnam, including China and its aggression in the resource-rich East Sea, land grabbing across the country, injustice, corruption, etc.
In late 2021, another member of CHTV, Mr. Le Trong Hung, was convicted of the same charge and sentenced to five years in prison.
So far this year, Vietnam’s authoritarian regime has convicted four activists with a total 17 years in prison. Anti-corruption activist Le Chi Thanh, a former police captain, was convicted of “resisting on-duty state officials” and sentenced to two years in prison while civil activists Dang Dinh Bach and Mai Phan Loi were sentenced to five years and three years in prison, respectively, after being guilty of “tax evasion.”
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HRD Do Nam Trung’s Appeal Rejected, Ten-year Sentence Upheld
Defend the Defenders, March 24, 2022
On March 24, in the appeal hearing, the Higher People’s Court in Hanoi rejected the appeal of democracy campaigner and human rights defender Do Nam Trung, upholding his ten-year imprisonment given by the People’s Court of Nam Dinh province in the first-instance hearing in December last year.
According to his lawyers Dang Dinh Manh and others continued to prove that Trung’s posts on Facebook are his right to freedom of expression and should not be considered as “anti-state.” However, like in the trial, the judge ignored.
Mr. Trung was arrested on July 6, 2021 on the allegation of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code. This is the second time he has been imprisoned. In 2014, he and two others were arrested when they went to the southern region to observe anti-China mass protests. One year later, he was sentenced to 14 months in prison after being convicted of “abusing democratic freedom” under Article 258 of the Penal Code 1999.
According to Defend the Defenders’ latest statistics, Vietnam is holding at least 254 prisoners of conscience. Hanoi always denies holding prisoners of conscience but only law violators.
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March 27, 2022
Vietnam Defend the Defenders’ Weekly Report for March 20-27, 2022: Blogger Le Dung Vova Convicted of “Conducting Anti-state Propaganda”
by Defend the Defenders • [Human Rights]
Defend the Defenders | March 27, 2022
During the week, Vietnam’s authoritarian regime carried out the first-instance hearing to try blogger Le Van Dung (aka Le Dung Vova) and the appeal hearing of democracy fighter and human rights defender Do Nam Trung.
On March 23, the People’s Court of Hanoi found Mr. Dung guilty of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 88 of the Penal Code for his posts on Facebook and Youtube. He was sentenced to five years in prison followed by a five-year probation.
One day later, the Higher People’s Court in Hanoi rejected the appeal of Mr. Trung, keeping the sentence of ten years in prison and four years of probation given by the People’s Court of Nam Dinh province in the trial held in mid-December last year. Trung was arrested in early July last year on the allegation of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code which replaced the Penal Code in 2018.
=================
Blogger Le Dung Vova Convicted of “Conducting Anti-state Propaganda,” Sentenced to Five Years in Prison
Defend the Defenders, March 23, 2022
On March 23, at the first-instance hearing, the People’s Court of Hanoi found local blogger Le Van Dung (aka Le Dung Vova) guilty of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 88 of the country’s Penal Code and sentenced him to five years in prison followed by five years of probation.
During the so-called open trial, none of his relatives, including his wife and his mother, was allowed to enter the courtroom although his lawyer Dang Dinh Manh said the security measures applied by the local authorities in the court areas during the hearing were not as strict as in other political cases. The trial lasted from early morning to early afternoon of Wednesday.
Human rights attorneys Manh and Ha Huy Son presented defense statements saying their client is innocent but exercised his rights of freedom of expression and journalism, however, the judge ignored them. Dung also claimed his innocence and declared that he will appeal the court’s decision.
Mr. Dung, 52, was arrested on June 30 last year and charged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code. However, after investigation, the Hanoi Police Department changed the charge to Article 88 of the Penal Code which was replaced by the Criminal Code from 2018.
Mr. Dung has been involved in social affairs since 2011 when he actively participated in peaceful demonstrations in Hanoi to protest China’s expansionism in the East Sea (South China Sea). He has taken part in CHTV, a news and forum channel on Youtube and Facebook to address many hot topics in Vietnam, including China and its aggression in the resource-rich East Sea, land grabbing across the country, injustice, corruption, etc.
In late 2021, another member of CHTV, Mr. Le Trong Hung, was convicted of the same charge and sentenced to five years in prison.
So far this year, Vietnam’s authoritarian regime has convicted four activists with a total 17 years in prison. Anti-corruption activist Le Chi Thanh, a former police captain, was convicted of “resisting on-duty state officials” and sentenced to two years in prison while civil activists Dang Dinh Bach and Mai Phan Loi were sentenced to five years and three years in prison, respectively, after being guilty of “tax evasion.”
===============
HRD Do Nam Trung’s Appeal Rejected, Ten-year Sentence Upheld
Defend the Defenders, March 24, 2022
On March 24, in the appeal hearing, the Higher People’s Court in Hanoi rejected the appeal of democracy campaigner and human rights defender Do Nam Trung, upholding his ten-year imprisonment given by the People’s Court of Nam Dinh province in the first-instance hearing in December last year.
According to his lawyers Dang Dinh Manh and others continued to prove that Trung’s posts on Facebook are his right to freedom of expression and should not be considered as “anti-state.” However, like in the trial, the judge ignored.
Mr. Trung was arrested on July 6, 2021 on the allegation of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code. This is the second time he has been imprisoned. In 2014, he and two others were arrested when they went to the southern region to observe anti-China mass protests. One year later, he was sentenced to 14 months in prison after being convicted of “abusing democratic freedom” under Article 258 of the Penal Code 1999.
According to Defend the Defenders’ latest statistics, Vietnam is holding at least 254 prisoners of conscience. Hanoi always denies holding prisoners of conscience but only law violators.
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