Editor’s Note: This past October 6, 2025, marked five years since the authorities arrested journalist Phạm Đoan Trang and subsequently sentenced her to nine years in prison for “conducting propaganda against the state” under Article 88 of the 1999 Penal Code. To mark this milestone, the author of this article, a person close to journalist Đoan Trang, has shared a few lines recounting their memories and recollections of her.

Trịnh Hữu Long wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luat Khoa Magazine on Oct. 7, 2025.