Key Events 

• Việt Nam Intensifies Crackdown, Extends Trịnh Bá Phương’s Prison Term to 21 Years;
• Fifth Pillar Added to Việt Nam’s Communist Party Leadership Structure;
• Proposed Cybersecurity Amendments Spark Fears of Increased State Surveillance;
• Former Top Parliamentary Aide and 28 Others Jailed in Major Corruption Case;
• Vietnam to Deactivate 86 Million Bank Accounts Over Biometric Rule.

Đà Nẵng Court Adds 11 Years to Activist Trịnh Bá Phương’s Sentence in Political Trial

On Sept. 27, 2025, the People’s Court of Đà Nẵng held a first-instance trial against Trịnh Bá Phương, who is already serving a 10-year sentence and five years of probation. His family asserts that the combined sentences of 21 years in prison and five years of probation were imposed unjustly.

Despite being designated a public hearing, neither family members nor representatives from the German, British, or European Union embassies were permitted entry. The courtroom was heavily sealed off by hundreds of security and police officers, and all surrounding access points were blocked.