On January 24, Hanoi’s People’s Court held a trial for Dang Dinh Bach, director of the nonprofit organization Law and Policy of Sustainable Development (LPSD), for an alleged “tax evasion” under Article 200 of Vietnam’s 2015 Penal Code. The court announced its verdict on the same day, sentencing Bach to five years in prison, state media reported.

Bach, 44, was reportedly arrested on July 2, 2021, the same day the government also arrested Mai Phan Loi – a former journalist and founder of another nonprofit organization. According to The 88 Project, Bach is well known for his leadership in engaging with and mobilizing young people to participate in charitable projects, such as helping victims of environmental catastrophes and people impacted by climate change.