Vietnamese Political Activist Tran Van Bang Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for "Spreading Anti-Government Propaganda"

Vietnamese Political Activist Tran Van Bang Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for "Spreading Anti-Government P

Human Rights Watch Calls for Dropping Charges Against Tran Van Bang as Vietnamese Activist Receives 8-Year Sentence

In a recent development, state-owned Tuoitre newspaper and other Vietnamese media outlets have reported that Tran Van Bang, a political activist, has been sentenced to eight years in prison with an additional three years of probation by the People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City. The charges against him include "spreading anti-government propaganda." This verdict comes shortly after Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a plea urging Vietnamese authorities to drop all charges against Tran Van Bang.

Tran Van Bang was found guilty by the court of "making, storing, distributing, or propagating information, documents, and materials" aimed at opposing the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. According to the allegations, he utilized three Facebook accounts to publish a total of 39 articles criticizing the Vietnamese Government, including advocating for a boycott of the election of Vietnamese National Assembly deputies. The arrest of Tran Van Bang took place on March 1, 2022, by the Ho Chi Minh City police, and he was charged under article 117 of the Criminal Code for expressing critical views about the government.

Shortly before the court's sentencing, HRW called upon Vietnamese authorities to immediately dismiss all charges against Tran Van Bang and secure his release. HRW Deputy Asia Director, Phil Robertson, strongly criticized the actions of Vietnamese authorities, emphasizing that arresting, detaining, and prosecuting individuals for expressing dissenting views about the government on the internet highlights weakness rather than strength. Robertson emphasized that Tran Van Bang should not face punishment merely for exercising the fundamental right to freedom of expression.

Tran Van Bang's sentence echoes another recent case involving Vietnamese journalist and activist Nguyen Lan Thang, who received a similarly lengthy prison term of six years for his work in reporting human rights violations in the region. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Committee to Protect Journalists have also called upon Vietnamese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Nguyen and drop all pending charges against him.