Đoàn Bảo Châu, Seven Years in Prison for Making Videos: A Journalist Sentenced in Absentia Speaks

On Aug. 3, the Hanoi People’s Court tried 58-year-old Đoàn Bảo Châu in absentia, sentencing him to seven years in prison and five years of probation. His conviction falls under Article 117 of the 2015 Penal Code for “making, storing, disseminating, or propagandizing information, materials, or items aimed at opposing the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.” [1] 

A martial arts instructor, writer, and journalist primarily based in Hà Nội, he has been a prominent critical voice for nearly two decades. 

Following the trial, Luật Khoa interviewed Đoàn Bảo Châu over Zoom on Aug. 9, 2026.

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Reporter: You have a significant following on Facebook and YouTube through your writing and interviews about politics, society, and human rights in Việt Nam. In a Facebook post, you wrote: “All I do is raise a critical voice and object to the government’s obvious wrongdoing.” [2] 

Everyone knows that doing so is endangering yourself in our country. When did you begin playing this critical role, and what drove you to undertake such dangerous work?

Đoàn Bảo Châu: It stems from my personality and perhaps my profession. As a martial arts instructor, I teach my students to strengthen their minds and bodies so they can become stronger people. This strength is not just for defending themselves and their families but also for protecting society’s vulnerable populations and upholding justice. That is a principle every person of integrity must possess. 

I am a straightforward person. When I see something wrong in society, I call it out; when something is right, I acknowledge it. This is part of societal development because we must speak out before mistakes can be corrected.

Just as every individual has faults to correct, the same applies to a political system. No government is perfect from the start, and there have been many missteps. When these occur, the authorities must be willing to listen and make corrections. It must be a continuous, daily process.

However, a conservative, authoritarian system like the government of Việt Nam treats people as enemies whenever they point out wrongdoing or express opposing views. This behavior reflects the inherent weaknesses of those managing our society.

I am a writer and martial arts instructor who loves music and poetry. I do not concern myself with grand political issues. My only goal has been to point out mistakes so the government can correct them—assuming it truly desires a more progressive society.

I have the right to do this. The rights I rely upon are fully enshrined in the Constitution, including freedom of speech. Even Hồ Chí Minh once stated that the people must have one fundamental right: the right to open their mouths.

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Reporter: On Dec. 30, 2024, you published a post titled “If I Am Arrested Tomorrow.” What circumstances were you facing at the time that made you anticipate your arrest? [3]

Đoàn Bảo Châu: I was forced into hiding at a location other than my home, living under circumstances where I could have been detained at any moment.

We know very well that once the Vietnamese government takes someone into custody, their ability to speak out becomes extremely limited, preventing much information from getting out. The authorities also deliberately distort the public image of those they arrest.

If that happened, my readers might not have understood the truth of the situation. Therefore, I wanted to use that opportunity to leave a message behind so they would know the real story.

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Reporter: Had you received any threats prior to that point?

Đoàn Bảo Châu: On June 19, 2024, while working as an interpreter at a United Nations conference, I received a police summons. They ordered me to report on June 21 to 89 Trần Hưng Đạo Street, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hà Nội, which is now in Cửa Nam Ward. Because June 21 was a Friday and the conference was ongoing, I requested a postponement until Monday, June 24, so I could return in time.

I was tense throughout those days but mostly surprised. In all previous interactions with security officials, I had willingly cooperated. I often received them at my home with tea and coffee, and we even visited beer halls together. 

I am a journalist who has contributed to major international news organizations since the 2000s. Because they were security officials, I assumed that if there were a problem, they would first give me a warning before taking serious action.

Because I write frequently, ward police would occasionally call and say, “This sentence is too sensitive; please revise it,” and I would comply. If district officials asked me to remove an article, I would take it down immediately. My cooperation was very flexible.

However, on June 24, I suddenly felt uneasy. I warned my wife that they might arrest me at the end of the meeting and bring me home for a search. I initially suspected the summons was related to the nearly 1 billion đồng (about $38,000 USD) I had fundraised for Ukraine, especially since Russian President Vladimir Putin had recently visited Việt Nam. I assumed that they might simply want to stop that effort and that it would be nothing serious.

Instead, when I arrived, they presented a thick file titled “Recommendation for Prosecution.” Skimming it, I read: “A report from the Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention Division (PA05) indicates that the subject Đoàn Bảo Châu has produced videos that cause public confusion, employ psychological warfare and defame the people’s government.”

I felt bitter. I thought of people such as Nguyễn Lân Thắng, Dũng Nova, Phạm Đoan Trang, Nguyễn Vũ Bình, Nguyễn Chí Tuyến, and others who had been arrested. I imagined that they had likely sat in the exact chair I was occupying. 

The interrogation lasted from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. They provided two boxed meals during our lunch break, but I did not eat. At 4 p.m., they issued an order prohibiting me from leaving the country and threatened me: “If you disclose this information to the public, you will be held responsible.”

I realized that issuing a travel ban meant they were not planning to immediately arrest me; this was my only opportunity to escape. 

Once I made the decision to leave, I acted immediately. I went home and called my students and acquaintances to collect my training equipment, old clothes, books, and other belongings.

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Reporter: In that same post, you specifically said that you were “physically and mentally healthy” and had “no intention of committing suicide.” 

Why was it necessary to make that public?

Đoàn Bảo Châu: Even within Việt Nam’s National Assembly, a delegate once questioned the causes of death for 216 individuals held in temporary or pretrial detention in Việt Nam. Given these mysterious deaths in custody, it is widely understood that police use violence against detainees, regardless of their guilt.

I understand myself very well. I stated during a previous livestream that if they ever caught me, they would have to tie my hands; otherwise, I would fight back and even gouge out their eyes. I said that directly because it reflects who I am.

If I fell into their hands and they beat me to death, the public would immediately understand the truth of what had happened.

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Reporter: In another post, you wrote: “A regime that pursues communist ideals should place greater importance on civil and human rights than capitalist countries do, but the results show the opposite.” [4] 

You courageously spoke out against social injustices and have now become a victim of them. Do you have any regrets?

Đoàn Bảo Châu: I would have deep regrets if I got arrested, as an arrest guarantees suffering. If I were released after five to seven years, I would emerge physically and mentally broken. That sentence would likely lead to five years of probation, which would leave me unable to make a living thereafter. 

My financial situation would become dire, my health would deteriorate further, and I would lose many years of my life. Most importantly, we only live once. These are the most bitter consequences for anyone struggling to build a better society. 

Therefore, if I had known for certain that I would be arrested, I would have reconsidered my actions.

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Reporter: When you created the six videos now being used by prosecutors, did you ever suspect they would eventually become the basis for your prosecution? 

Đoàn Bảo Châu: I considered the possibility, but I was not certain. Had I known for certain, I might not have made them. No one wants to gamble their life, personal safety, and family’s happiness against an entire government.

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Reporter: Why do you think the government selected these six videos as the basis for their charges?

Đoàn Bảo Châu: First, they involved BBC News Tiếng Việt, a British news organization that the government has disliked since the Vietnam War.

Second, they included my interview regarding the Đồng Tâm case. That was a sensitive matter, and the government managed the situation very poorly that year.

Those videos also involved prisoners of conscience and their families. Because they—like me—spoke out against the government’s wrongdoing, those subjects were deemed sensitive. I also interviewed foreign human rights experts.

I have authored thousands of pieces over many years, but the authorities did not use those against me. It is reasonable to conclude that once they decided to pursue charges, they selected the most prominent materials to build their case.

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Reporter: State media reported the authorities’ conclusion that your six videos contained material that “propagates psychological warfare narratives,” “spreads fabricated information and causes public confusion,” “distorts facts, makes false accusations and insults the reputation of organizations and the honor and dignity of individuals,” and “opposes the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.” [5] 

How do you evaluate the objectivity of the government’s investigation prior to bringing these charges?

Đoàn Bảo Châu: Those accusations are libel, lies, and fabrications. The authorities are the ones spreading falsehoods; they cannot point to a single sentence in my six videos that “spreads fabricated information” or constitutes “psychological warfare.” 

This is what I find most contemptible about my accusers. They know that I am innocent, yet they deliberately deploy this language to convict me. They are deeply unconscionable people who wield the law as an instrument to suppress honest voices rather than as a tool to improve society. 

There is no justice in Việt Nam. Justice has been distorted and trampled by an authoritarian government. 

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Reporter: Why did you decide to release the six videos to the public on Jan. 3, 2025? [6] This was before the news announced that the case had been opened on April 24, 2025. 

Did anyone ever request that you take the videos down? [7]

Đoàn Bảo Châu: Those videos were never classified documents. Since the authorities were using them to build a case against me, I wanted the public to pay attention, listen closely, and determine for themselves what I had done wrong. 

I reposted them to allow viewers to judge my guilt or innocence. That is exactly why I called upon the public to act as my lawyers. No one asked me to take the videos down. 

Given my accommodating nature, I would have removed them had I been asked. I wanted to live peacefully, so there would have been no point in escalating the situation.

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Reporter: In a recent post on July 30, 2026, you mentioned that you “did not intend to hire a lawyer” and had chosen the public to serve as your defense. [8] 

Why do you trust the public to defend you?

Đoàn Bảo Châu: My current circumstances clearly do not allow for a lawyer. 

First, I am facing financial difficulties; since leaving the country, I have been unable to work, yet my children still require an education. Everyone in my position faces serious hardships. 

Second, even if I could afford a lawyer, they would serve as little more than window dressing. Việt Nam’s judiciary is fragile and conservative, meaning a lawyer would defend nothing and only cost more money. 

I understand my case better than anyone else. No one can defend me as comprehensively as I can defend myself.

Why, then, should I hire a lawyer?

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Reporter: Because you were absent from your first-instance trial on Aug. 3, you were unable to mount a direct defense in court. [9] If you could use this interview with Luật Khoa Magazine as your defense platform, what is your message?

Đoàn Bảo Châu: I want to state clearly that the entire trial was contrived and based entirely on falsehoods. It demonstrates the authoritarian nature of Việt Nam’s government. 

Rather than serving as a tool to improve society, the law is used as an instrument to suppress people of integrity and silence critical voices.

Reporter: Do you also want to raise any questions or make any demands of the judicial panel that presided over your case?

Đoàn Bảo Châu: I have no respect for that judicial panel. They colluded entirely among themselves, so I have nothing to ask them. 

If I were to make a single demand, it would be for them to retry and review the case with true impartiality. However, I know that will never happen. Their nature will not change; they do not know how to listen, and they place zero value on the voices of people like me.

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Reporter: According to social media reports, you sought refuge in Thailand before eventually resettling in Canada. Can you confirm this, and perhaps share details about your journey to safety?

Đoàn Bảo Châu: The reports are accurate, though the journey itself was not particularly unusual. Since I was under a travel ban and likely stripped of my civil rights as a citizen, I could not travel by plane. I had to cross the border into Cambodia on foot before making my way into Thailand. 

This is also why I had to spend two months in a Thai immigration prison before reaching Canada as a refugee.

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Reporter: Did you encounter many difficulties while crossing the border on foot?

Đoàn Bảo Châu: Of course, such journeys naturally require specific routes. At the time I left, it was surprisingly easy to find social media advertisements offering border-crossing services. 

It is a dangerous journey, but with my life at stake, it was a risk I had to accept.

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Reporter: How did you reach Canada from Thailand?

Đoàn Bảo Châu: For most people seeking asylum in a third country, the first step is admission through the UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency. You can only enter the formal refugee process after the UNHCR officially accepts you. 

Once you secure a UNHCR case file, you can apply to third countries with refugee policies, such as the United States, Australia, and Canada. Switzerland also accepts some cases, though far fewer.

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Reporter: How long have you lived in Canada, and what has your life been like there?

Đoàn Bảo Châu: I have been here for six months, and my situation has only recently achieved a temporary status of stability. The Canadian government provides policy-based support to refugees for one year. 

However, simply surviving is not the real issue.

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Reporter: How have the case and prosecution affected your family, work, and personal life?

Đoàn Bảo Châu: It has been a path marked by isolation and loneliness. I have faced financial hardship, and my future remains precarious because I am no longer young. 

While I have made new friends who are willing to help me, most of my friends back in Việt Nam have fallen silent. If I try to call them, they sometimes hang up before I finish saying more than a few sentences.

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Reporter: What are your plans for the future?

Đoàn Bảo Châu: Finding employment in a foreign country is incredibly difficult for people like me. I know the road ahead will be very difficult. In the worst-case scenario, I will seek manual labor, though I hope to avoid that unless I absolutely cannot find work that matches my professional expertise.

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Thiên Lương wrote this news article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on August 19, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine translated it into English.