The Latest: On the evening of July 7, state media reported that authorities arrested and charged Nguyễn Thành Nam, the author of Chuyện với Thanh (A Story with Thanh), and Trần Việt Anh, the director of Spiderum, the media organization behind the publication.
- The arrests follow days of public rumors regarding their legal status.
Both men are accused of “making, storing, disseminating, or propagandizing information, documents, or items aimed at opposing the state” under Article 117 of the Penal Code.
Hà Nội police stated that the case is still being “expanded for further investigation” and that authorities will “strictly handle” those involved.
According to Hanoi police, the materials linked to the case include the book Chuyện với Thanh – Lời kể mới về ánh sáng and “many other videos with unlawful content.”
- Police stated that the materials “distorted historical truth about revolutions, the Party’s lines and policies, and the state’s laws and policies while insulting President Hồ Chí Minh, Gen. Võ Nguyên Giáp, and many other Party and state leaders.”
It remains unclear exactly when Nguyễn Thành Nam and Trần Việt Anh were detained and formally charged, though rumors of their arrests had circulated on social media since late June.
Furthermore, Hà Nội police have not specified which exact content within the book constitutes the alleged violations.
Following the public denunciations, organizations associated with Nguyễn Thành Nam—including VinUni, where he taught; FPT University, where he served as vice chair of the board; and FPT Corp., where he was a co-founder and former CEO—have maintained public silence.
Related: After the news broke regarding Nguyễn Thành Nam’s arrest, Phan Trung Can—who had initiated accusations that Nam had “insulted President Hồ Chí Minh,”—posted a poem titled “To Uncle Nguyễn Thành Nam,” which included the passage:
“In prison, sit there, my dear/
Try to meditate and reflect on yourself/
Bring a Hồ Chí Minh book/
Study it by heart to correct yourself, my dear!”
The Confession: In a VTV broadcast report, Nguyễn Thành Nam delivered a televised confession:
“In the above content, I admit there were false details that went against the Party and state’s policies, smeared the image of President Hồ, caused public confusion, and affected the reputation of the people’s government. I recognize the seriousness of my mistakes, and I sincerely apologize.”
During the same report, Trần Việt Anh stated:
“I created this podcast with the goal of producing content that could attract views and followers, thereby maximizing economic benefits from the platform. [I] also took advantage of influential figures such as Nguyễn Thành Nam to draw more attention to the content.”
Chuyện với Thanh: Published by the Vietnam Writers’ Association Publishing House in 2026, Chuyện với Thanh is structured as a dialogue between a Generation Z student indifferent to history and a teacher named Thành. The narrative reconstructs the journey of Hồ Chí Minh—then known as Nguyễn Tất Thành—during his years abroad.
- The book previously sparked mixed reactions and faced accusations of “rewriting history,” “insulting President Hồ Chí Minh,” and “insulting the Vietnamese nation” for presenting an alternative portrayal of Nguyễn Tất Thành.
- The initial backlash originated from figures known for previously denouncing The Sorrow of War and an event regarding Trương Vĩnh Ký, including former serviceman Phan Trung Can and Lt. Gen. Nguyễn Thanh Tuấn.
The Background: Televised confessions are an investigative tactic regularly employed by authorities during criminal investigations in Việt Nam.
- Historically, several individuals have confessed on television under similar circumstances, including Lê Công Định and Trịnh Xuân Thanh, Y Quỳnh B’đăp, and Đỗ Văn Ngà.
Leadup to Current Events:
June 10: Amid the growing backlash, the Vietnam Writers’ Association Publishing House issued an apology, halted distribution, and recalled the book.
June 15: The publisher was suspended for two months and fined 100 million đồng for publishing “very serious false content.”
June 19: Trần Thành Trọng, a member of the Hồ Chí Minh City People’s Council, criticized the book at the council’s third meeting and called for Nguyễn Thành Nam to be “criminally handled.”
June 26: the Ministry of Education and Training ordered universities to report any details related to invitations for Nguyễn Thành Nam to “teach, guest lecture, give thematic reports, join seminars, give speeches or participate in other academic activities, if any,” regardless of whether the events had already occurred
Rumors that Nguyễn Thành Nam had been arrested started to spread on social media soon after.
Hoàng Nam wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on July 7, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights to the English translation.
