Key Events 

• Human Rights Advocates Condemn Việt Nam’s Detention of BBC Journalist During Tô Lam’s UK Visit;
• Court in Lâm Đồng Jails Protestant Pastor Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng for Six Years;
• National Assembly Finalizes Key Appointments as Government Term Nears Its End;
• Việt Nam’s Secret $8 Billion Arms Deal with Russia Exposed;
• Thousands Displaced as Torrential Rains Swallow Huế and Đà Nẵng.

Việt Nam Holds BBC Journalist’s Passport Since August Amid Interrogations During To Lam’s UK Visit

The New York Times reports that the Vietnamese authorities are preventing a BBC Vietnamese journalist from leaving the country after confiscating her passport and subjecting her to prolonged interrogations—an incident drawing strong criticism from human rights advocates as General Secretary Tô Lâm visits the United Kingdom.

The journalist, a Vietnamese citizen based in Thailand, returned home in August to renew her passport. Upon receiving the new document, she was questioned for dozens of hours over a week in Hồ Chí Minh City, including one session that reportedly lasted overnight, according to friends familiar with her situation. Since then, she has been placed under intense surveillance, and her passport remains withheld.