On March 24, the local Nam Dinh Provincial People’s Court held an appeal hearing for Vietnamese activist Do Nam Trung, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison and four years of probation on charges of “distributing anti-state propaganda” last December under Article 117 of Vietnam’s 2015 Penal code. The appeals court announced its decision on the same day, upholding Trung’s previous sentencing.

Do Nam Trung, 40, is an activist famous for his work on the promotion of freedom of expression, human rights, and democracy in Vietnam. His activism includes his participation in and calling for protests opposing China’s actions in the South China Sea, which resulted in his arrest and 14-month incarceration in 2014.