A few hours after The 24th annual US-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue, Vietnamese authorities arrested journalist Pham Doan Trang on grounds of “anti-state propaganda.” The acclaimed activist is a known advocate of democracy, press freedom and the rule of law in Vietnam.
- Title: Pham Doan Trang: Vietnam arrests leading pro-democracy blogger
- Publish Date: October 7, 2020
- Publisher: BBC News
Excerpt:
Pham Doan Trang was detained in Ho Chi Minh city late on Tuesday and accused of carrying out anti-state activities.
Ms Trang has been detained before and is an advocate for democracy, press freedom and the rule of law in Vietnam.
Vietnam’s one-party communist state frequently jails its critics. There was no immediate comment from the US.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have demanded her immediate release.
Ms Trang has been charged with “making, storing, disseminating or propagandising information, materials and products that aim to oppose the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam”, state media report.
Such charges carrying jail terms of up to 20 years.
“There will be more arrests of dissidents and human rights activists before the Communist Party’s 13th Congress early next year,” fellow dissident Pham Thanh Nghien told BBC Vietnamese. “It turns out Doan Trang is first in line.”
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