Independent Journalist and Blogger Nguyen Vu Binh Sentenced to 7 Years

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Key events:

  • Hanoi Court Sentences Journalist Nguyen Vu Binh to 7 Years
  • Activist Phan Van Bach Will be Tried this September for Charges under Article 117
  • Security Ministry Orders ‘Stern Discipline’ of Individuals Posting ‘False Information’ about the Flooding Situation
  • U.S. and Vietnam Defense Leaders Sign Joint Vision Statement on Cooperation

Hanoi Court Sentences Journalist Nguyen Vu Binh to 7 Years

The Hanoi People’s Court on Sept. 10 opened a trial for Nguyen Vu Binh, an independent journalist, and blogger who extensively writes about democracy and social issues, and sentenced him to seven years on charges of “distributing anti-state propaganda” under the controversial Article 117 of the Penal Code. Binh was a former journalist at the Communist Journal (Tạp chí Cộng sản), an official mouthpiece of the Communist Party. According to Radio Free Asia (RFA), he had three defense lawyers, Le Dinh Viet, Le Van Luan, and Nguyen Thi Trang. Binh’s sister, Nguyen Thi Phong, and his daughter were allowed to witness the trial.

Nguyen Vu Binh was arrested on Feb. 29 in Hanoi, along with activist Nguyen Chi Tuyen. According to the indictment, Binh, 55, was accused of participating in a talk show that discussed political, economic, and social issues in Vietnam. The show was published on a YouTube channel called “TNT Media Live,” hosted by the Vietnamese lawyer and former political prisoner Nguyen Van Dai. The court declared that Binh had participated in four video clips uploaded between January and March 2022, which allegedly “contained false information and caused public confusion.”

One of Binh’s lawyers, who requested anonymity, said that the journalist admitted to his activities but rejected the conviction because he only exercised the right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed in the Vietnamese Constitution and the Convention on Civil and Political Rights that Hanoi has ratified. The lawyer added that Binh would not appeal the sentence because he did not believe in Vietnam’s justice system. Previously, in 2003, Nguyen Vu Binh was convicted under “espionage” charges and sentenced to seven years in prison and three years of probation for sending reports on the human rights situation to international organizations.

Before Binh’s trial, rights advocate Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Sept. 8 urged the Vietnamese authorities to “drop all charges and release” Nguyen Vu Binh. The arrest and trial of Binh have become the latest example of repression that occurred after police general To Lam assumed his new position as the Vietnamese Communist Party’s general secretary. HRW noted that between April 2016 and May 2024, when To Lam led the security ministry, Vietnamese police “arrested at least 269 people for peacefully exercising their basic civil and political rights.” In 2002 and 2007, HRW awarded Nguyen Vu Binh the Hellmann/Hammett Writers’ Award, dedicated to the activists who faced political persecution.

Phan Van Bach, Former Activist and YouTuber, Faces Trial this September

On Sept. 16, the Hanoi People’s Court will try Phan Van Bach, an activist, and former critical YouTube channel CHTV member, due to his alleged violation of Section 1, Article 117 of the Penal Code, which prohibits  “distributing anti-state propaganda.” Bach was arrested in December 2023, although he had recently ceased his activism and focused on business. Nguyen Thi Yeu, Bach’s wife, told RFA that the Hanoi court did not notify the family of the trial date, and she only learned about it from Le Van Luan, his defense lawyer.

The procuracy declared in its indictment that between 2018 and 2022, Bach had used his personal Facebook account to post a total of 12 articles and six videos containing information that “distorts and defames the people's government,” “] “invokes psychological warfare,” and “instills confusion among the public.” Bach’s postings, according to the indictment, allegedly “distorted the policies of the government,” “denied the leadership role of the Vietnamese Communist Party,” “defamed the image of state leaders,” and “incited the masses [to oppose the state.]”

Yeu added that while her husband was being detained, he had contracted multiple illnesses, such as intestinal diseases and scabies, apparently due to the detention facility’s poor sanitation, causing him to lose around 25 kg (55 pounds). She said that after Bach was detained, he developed diarrhea and asked the detention center for medical treatment. Still, they only gave him medicine, which caused constipation after he took it. Bach’s health reportedly had not improved when attorney Luan met him for the first time on Aug. 12. Currently, the family has no updated information about Bach’s condition because they were not allowed to see him in custody.

Security Ministry Orders ‘Stern Discipline’ of Individuals Posting ‘False Information’ about the Flooding Situation

The Ministry of Public issued led to severe flooding and landslides in the mountainous region. At the same time, the release of floodgates by major hydroelectric plants has worsened the situation.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, via state media, at least 200 people were reported dead or missing due to flooding and landslides that occurred in the aftermath of the typhoon as of 5:00 a.m. on Sept. 11.

State media reported that the Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention was directed to impose “stern discipline” on individuals and organizations that “report inaccurate information” that could complicate rescue and prevention efforts.

On Sept. 10, the Hai Duong Provincial Police summoned 21 social media users who posted and shared the news of a dike breach in the province’s Cam Giang, Thanh Ha, and Chi Linh districts, subsequently attracting significant public attention. The authorities declared such information fabricated and said they would discipline these social media users “under the law.”

On the same day, the police departments in Lao Cai and Phu Tho also questioned numerous local internet users after they posted comments on their social media accounts about the breach of hydroelectric dams and dikes in these provinces. The police departments said these postings were false and could “sow confusion among the public” about the government’s rescue and relief efforts, adding that these social media users “voluntarily removed the postings that contained false information.”

U.S. and Vietnam Defense Leaders Sign Joint Vision Statement on Cooperation

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with Vietnam’s National Defense Minister Phan Van Giang on Sept. 9 at the Pentagon. They emphasized Washington’s commitment to resolving the legacies of war and discussed possible opportunities for defense cooperation.

According to the official announcement, Secretary Austin said he’s committed to providing an additional budget of $65 million over the next five years in dioxin remediation efforts at Bien Hoa Airbase, bringing the total amount of financial remediation support to the airbase to $215 million. The secretary also reaffirmed that the U.S. would continue to work with Vietnam to search for both American and Vietnamese troops who lost their lives during the war and expressed his appreciation for Hanoi’s support in locating missing U.S. service members.

Minister Phan Van Giang expressed his pleasure as his visit marked the anniversary of elevating the diplomatic relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam into a comprehensive strategic partnership. He also reaffirmed Hanoi’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Washington to ensure peace, stability, and development. Both leaders also signed an updated joint vision statement on bilateral cooperation, which could provide a roadmap for future defense collaboration.

Quick takes:

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man Concludes Russia Visit, Signs Legislative Cooperation Joint Statement.

Parliamentary Chairman Tran Thanh Man concluded his three-day visit to Moscow on Sept. 11, where he met with the Russian leader Vladimir Putin and co-chaired a meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee between Vietnam and Russia. During the trip, Man also held talks with Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation,  Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin. According to state media, the two sides signed a joint statement to boost bilateral cooperation in lawmaking and the implementation of agreements signed by the two countries. During the talks with Volodin, Man reportedly said that “Vietnam always maintains a neutral stance and does not favor the application of sanctions on Russia” after it invaded Ukraine.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Criticizes Vietnam’s Repression of Activists.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, criticized Vietnam’s crackdowns on activists during the 57th opening session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Sept. 9. Turk highlighted the efforts of authoritarian governments around the world to stifle fundamental civil liberties, such as the detention of journalists and political dissidents in Azerbaijan, Uganda, Venezuela, Tunisia, and Vietnam. The UN commissioner also underscored that human rights “can trigger positive change in society, steering us towards greater justice and stability.”

Vietnam Insight: Learn more about Vietnam

A Power Grab in invaded: Will Vietnam Turn Inward Under Its New Leader?

Foreign Affairs/ Huong Le Thu/ Sept. 9

“Lam is the most powerful leader in recent Vietnamese history. Given his public security background and lack of Trong’s ideological drive, the anticorruption campaign may become a blunt instrument for eliminating political opponents ahead of the 2026 party congress. And although Lam is unlikely to change course on foreign policy, that continuity will be made to serve change: continued foreign engagement and investment will legitimize his domestic agenda of unprecedented control. In this way, though he does not represent a threat to Vietnam’s existing systems, his rule may have serious, if not transformative, consequences. Hanoi is unlikely to abandon bamboo diplomacy, to which Vietnam owes much of its international success. But under Lam, the country’s diplomatic authority could be at risk.”