Defend the Defenders, November 12, 2025
Four activists whowere arbitrarily detained in late August are being charged with two serious charges subversion and “conducting anti-state propaganda” as senior police officers havebeen promoted in senior positions of Vietnam’s authoritarian regime.
As Defend the Defenders(DTD) reported, in late August, several days prior to the 80th anniversary of the country’s independence (September 2), security officers from the Ministry of PublicSecurity detained four activists named Ho Sy Quyet (aka Quyet Ho), Tran Quang Trung (aka Ly Quang Son), Tran Quang Nam, and Nguyen Tuan Nghia.
After several days holding them without informing their families, police sent notices to their relatives saying they were arrested for anti-state activities generally without specific allegations.
When the family of Tran Quang Trung sent his lawyer Ha Huy Son with a request to meet him, the Security Investigation Agency under the Ministry of Public Security on September 26 replied that the activist is being investigated on conducting “Activities against the people’sgovernment” under Article 109 and “Making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the State of Socialist Republic of Vietnam” per Article 117 of the Criminal Code.
The first charge iswith a penalty of between 12 and 20 years in prison or even life imprisonment anddeath penalty while the second charge is with penalty of between five and 12 years or even 20 years in prison.
Police say the activists will not be able to meet with their lawyers and relatives until the investigation against them ends according to the Criminal Procedure Code.
Former political prisonerNguyen Van Dai, who was forced to live in exile in Germany from 2018, said that it is likely Vietnam’s police to take the four activists in a group to form one criminal case, meaning Ho Sy Quyet, Tran Quang Trung, Tran Quang Nam, and Nguyen Tuan Nghia are all charged with subversion and anti-state propaganda.
Dai, who practicedlegal counseling for a decade in Hanoi before being imprisoned in 2007 for promotingmulti-party democracy, said the four young men are just friends to each other andthey have focused on economic activities after Vietnam has intensified political crackdown since 2015 with hundreds of political dissidents and social activistsbeing imprisoned with lengthy sentence.
“The security forcestend to take individuals to form joint criminal cases to make the cases more serious which would bring to police investigators more credits with fast promotions and privileges,” says VuQuoc Ngu, director of Defend the Defenders.
The typical case was that the Hanoi Police Department arrested land petitioners Nguyen Thi Tam and Trinh Ba Phuong together in the “conducting anti-state propaganda” case although the two and human rights defenders worked separately, he added.
For the first time, there are four activists being charged with the two most serious allegations in the chapter Offences against National security of the Criminal Code. Each allegation goes with severe punishment of a decade imprisonment.
In 2018, pro-democracyLe Dinh Luong was convicted of subversion and sentenced to 20 years in prison whileland right activist Trinh Ba Phuong was sentenced to a total 21 years in prisonfor being convicted of “conducting anti-state propaganda” twice in 2020 and 2025.
“There is a clear trend in which Vietnam is imposing severer convictions with lengthier imprisonment for political dissidents, social activists and human rights defenders as more and more police generals are promoted to hold senior positions in the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam and its state and government agencies.
“By charging them with the two most serious allegations of the Criminal Code, Vietnam’s security forces want to threaten others that they will apply mercyless measures to ensure political monopoly so there is no political criticism to the way the authoritarian regime leads the nation,” DTD Director Vu Quoc Ngu said.
Vietnam’s authoritarian regime punishes activists without paying attention to the international concerns as the EU is focusing on the Russian invasion in Ukraine while the US under Trump’s administration reduces its roles of the democratic champion on the global stage, he added.
Vietnam has intensified suppression against political dissidents, social activists and human rights defenders since To Lam led security forces in 2010. When he headed the Ministry of PublicSecurity in 2016, he ordered the demolition of many social groups such as Brotherhoodfor Democracy (BFD), the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam (IJAVN),and the Liberal Publishing House. Numerous key members of these groups were arrested and sentenced up to 15 years in prison for “conducting anti-state propaganda” just for exercising their basic human rights enshrined in the country’s Constitution2013 and the international human rights treaties in which Vietnam is a signatory party.
To Lam has an ambitionto get re-elected in the ruling party’s National Congress in early next year and continueto lead the regime for at least one more term. He has promoted many his politicalallies from the Ministry of Public Security and Hung Yen province to regime’s key positions such as Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Duy Ngoc to head the party organization in Hanoi and Hung Yen man Luong Tam Quang to lead the police forces while numerous police officers were assigned to hold leading positions in cities and provinces.
With the detentions of the four activists, Vietnam is holding at least 265 prisoners of conscience, according to DTD’s statistics.
Former political prisoner Huynh Ngoc Tuan is the latest victim of the on-going political suppression. He was arrested on October 8 on allegation of “conducting anti-state propaganda” for his writing on social media such as Youtube and Facebook. In 1992, Tuan was convicted of the same charge and sentenced to ten years in prison.
The most recent conviction is the case of Protestant pastor Nguyen Manh Hung in which on October30, the People’s Court of Lam Dong province found him guilty of “conducting anti-statepropaganda” and sentenced him to six years in prison and five years of probation. He was arrested in early January this year, and allowed to meet his lawyer shortly before his trial.
Hanoi also targets activists who fled to foreign countries. Earlier this month, the Ministry of Public Security issued an arrest warrant for former prisoner of conscience Dang Thi Hue (ake Hue Nhu) who was allowed to reside in Germany after months living in exile in Thailand. She is also charged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” for voicing against human rights abuse across country after being released from prison in 2023.
Meanwhile, human rights defenders Nguyen Van Nghiem and Dinh Van Hai were released last week. Both werecharged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” just because they criticized the regime’ssocial-economic policies. The first was arrested in 2019 and sentenced to six yearsin prison while the second was detained in 2021 and given five years in prison.
Four activists charged with subversion and anti-state propaganda as police grap Vietnam’s leadership
Defend the Defenders, November 12, 2025
Four activists whowere arbitrarily detained in late August are being charged with two serious charges subversion and “conducting anti-state propaganda” as senior police officers havebeen promoted in senior positions of Vietnam’s authoritarian regime.
As Defend the Defenders(DTD) reported, in late August, several days prior to the 80th anniversary of the country’s independence (September 2), security officers from the Ministry of PublicSecurity detained four activists named Ho Sy Quyet (aka Quyet Ho), Tran Quang Trung (aka Ly Quang Son), Tran Quang Nam, and Nguyen Tuan Nghia.
After several days holding them without informing their families, police sent notices to their relatives saying they were arrested for anti-state activities generally without specific allegations.
When the family of Tran Quang Trung sent his lawyer Ha Huy Son with a request to meet him, the Security Investigation Agency under the Ministry of Public Security on September 26 replied that the activist is being investigated on conducting “Activities against the people’sgovernment” under Article 109 and “Making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the State of Socialist Republic of Vietnam” per Article 117 of the Criminal Code.
The first charge iswith a penalty of between 12 and 20 years in prison or even life imprisonment anddeath penalty while the second charge is with penalty of between five and 12 years or even 20 years in prison.
Police say the activists will not be able to meet with their lawyers and relatives until the investigation against them ends according to the Criminal Procedure Code.
Former political prisonerNguyen Van Dai, who was forced to live in exile in Germany from 2018, said that it is likely Vietnam’s police to take the four activists in a group to form one criminal case, meaning Ho Sy Quyet, Tran Quang Trung, Tran Quang Nam, and Nguyen Tuan Nghia are all charged with subversion and anti-state propaganda.
Dai, who practicedlegal counseling for a decade in Hanoi before being imprisoned in 2007 for promotingmulti-party democracy, said the four young men are just friends to each other andthey have focused on economic activities after Vietnam has intensified political crackdown since 2015 with hundreds of political dissidents and social activistsbeing imprisoned with lengthy sentence.
“The security forcestend to take individuals to form joint criminal cases to make the cases more serious which would bring to police investigators more credits with fast promotions and privileges,” says VuQuoc Ngu, director of Defend the Defenders.
The typical case was that the Hanoi Police Department arrested land petitioners Nguyen Thi Tam and Trinh Ba Phuong together in the “conducting anti-state propaganda” case although the two and human rights defenders worked separately, he added.
For the first time, there are four activists being charged with the two most serious allegations in the chapter Offences against National security of the Criminal Code. Each allegation goes with severe punishment of a decade imprisonment.
In 2018, pro-democracyLe Dinh Luong was convicted of subversion and sentenced to 20 years in prison whileland right activist Trinh Ba Phuong was sentenced to a total 21 years in prisonfor being convicted of “conducting anti-state propaganda” twice in 2020 and 2025.
“There is a clear trend in which Vietnam is imposing severer convictions with lengthier imprisonment for political dissidents, social activists and human rights defenders as more and more police generals are promoted to hold senior positions in the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam and its state and government agencies.
“By charging them with the two most serious allegations of the Criminal Code, Vietnam’s security forces want to threaten others that they will apply mercyless measures to ensure political monopoly so there is no political criticism to the way the authoritarian regime leads the nation,” DTD Director Vu Quoc Ngu said.
Vietnam’s authoritarian regime punishes activists without paying attention to the international concerns as the EU is focusing on the Russian invasion in Ukraine while the US under Trump’s administration reduces its roles of the democratic champion on the global stage, he added.
Vietnam has intensified suppression against political dissidents, social activists and human rights defenders since To Lam led security forces in 2010. When he headed the Ministry of PublicSecurity in 2016, he ordered the demolition of many social groups such as Brotherhoodfor Democracy (BFD), the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam (IJAVN),and the Liberal Publishing House. Numerous key members of these groups were arrested and sentenced up to 15 years in prison for “conducting anti-state propaganda” just for exercising their basic human rights enshrined in the country’s Constitution2013 and the international human rights treaties in which Vietnam is a signatory party.
To Lam has an ambitionto get re-elected in the ruling party’s National Congress in early next year and continueto lead the regime for at least one more term. He has promoted many his politicalallies from the Ministry of Public Security and Hung Yen province to regime’s key positions such as Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Duy Ngoc to head the party organization in Hanoi and Hung Yen man Luong Tam Quang to lead the police forces while numerous police officers were assigned to hold leading positions in cities and provinces.
With the detentions of the four activists, Vietnam is holding at least 265 prisoners of conscience, according to DTD’s statistics.
The most recent conviction is the case of Protestant pastor Nguyen Manh Hung in which on October30, the People’s Court of Lam Dong province found him guilty of “conducting anti-statepropaganda” and sentenced him to six years in prison and five years of probation. He was arrested in early January this year, and allowed to meet his lawyer shortlybefore his trial.
Meanwhile, human rights defenders Nguyen Van Nghiem and Dinh Van Hai were released last week. Both werecharged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” just because they criticized the regime’ssocial-economic policies. The first was arrested in 2019 and sentenced to six yearsin prison while the second was detained in 2021 and given five years in prison./.
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November 13, 2025
Four activists charged with subversion and anti-state propaganda as police grap Vietnam’s leadership
by Defend the Defenders • [Human Rights]
Defend the Defenders, November 12, 2025
Four activists whowere arbitrarily detained in late August are being charged with two serious charges subversion and “conducting anti-state propaganda” as senior police officers havebeen promoted in senior positions of Vietnam’s authoritarian regime.
As Defend the Defenders(DTD) reported, in late August, several days prior to the 80th anniversary of the country’s independence (September 2), security officers from the Ministry of PublicSecurity detained four activists named Ho Sy Quyet (aka Quyet Ho), Tran Quang Trung (aka Ly Quang Son), Tran Quang Nam, and Nguyen Tuan Nghia.
After several days holding them without informing their families, police sent notices to their relatives saying they were arrested for anti-state activities generally without specific allegations.
When the family of Tran Quang Trung sent his lawyer Ha Huy Son with a request to meet him, the Security Investigation Agency under the Ministry of Public Security on September 26 replied that the activist is being investigated on conducting “Activities against the people’sgovernment” under Article 109 and “Making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the State of Socialist Republic of Vietnam” per Article 117 of the Criminal Code.
The first charge iswith a penalty of between 12 and 20 years in prison or even life imprisonment anddeath penalty while the second charge is with penalty of between five and 12 years or even 20 years in prison.
Police say the activists will not be able to meet with their lawyers and relatives until the investigation against them ends according to the Criminal Procedure Code.
Former political prisonerNguyen Van Dai, who was forced to live in exile in Germany from 2018, said that it is likely Vietnam’s police to take the four activists in a group to form one criminal case, meaning Ho Sy Quyet, Tran Quang Trung, Tran Quang Nam, and Nguyen Tuan Nghia are all charged with subversion and anti-state propaganda.
Dai, who practicedlegal counseling for a decade in Hanoi before being imprisoned in 2007 for promotingmulti-party democracy, said the four young men are just friends to each other andthey have focused on economic activities after Vietnam has intensified political crackdown since 2015 with hundreds of political dissidents and social activistsbeing imprisoned with lengthy sentence.
“The security forcestend to take individuals to form joint criminal cases to make the cases more serious which would bring to police investigators more credits with fast promotions and privileges,” says VuQuoc Ngu, director of Defend the Defenders.
The typical case was that the Hanoi Police Department arrested land petitioners Nguyen Thi Tam and Trinh Ba Phuong together in the “conducting anti-state propaganda” case although the two and human rights defenders worked separately, he added.
For the first time, there are four activists being charged with the two most serious allegations in the chapter Offences against National security of the Criminal Code. Each allegation goes with severe punishment of a decade imprisonment.
In 2018, pro-democracyLe Dinh Luong was convicted of subversion and sentenced to 20 years in prison whileland right activist Trinh Ba Phuong was sentenced to a total 21 years in prisonfor being convicted of “conducting anti-state propaganda” twice in 2020 and 2025.
“There is a clear trend in which Vietnam is imposing severer convictions with lengthier imprisonment for political dissidents, social activists and human rights defenders as more and more police generals are promoted to hold senior positions in the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam and its state and government agencies.
“By charging them with the two most serious allegations of the Criminal Code, Vietnam’s security forces want to threaten others that they will apply mercyless measures to ensure political monopoly so there is no political criticism to the way the authoritarian regime leads the nation,” DTD Director Vu Quoc Ngu said.
Vietnam’s authoritarian regime punishes activists without paying attention to the international concerns as the EU is focusing on the Russian invasion in Ukraine while the US under Trump’s administration reduces its roles of the democratic champion on the global stage, he added.
Vietnam has intensified suppression against political dissidents, social activists and human rights defenders since To Lam led security forces in 2010. When he headed the Ministry of PublicSecurity in 2016, he ordered the demolition of many social groups such as Brotherhoodfor Democracy (BFD), the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam (IJAVN),and the Liberal Publishing House. Numerous key members of these groups were arrested and sentenced up to 15 years in prison for “conducting anti-state propaganda” just for exercising their basic human rights enshrined in the country’s Constitution2013 and the international human rights treaties in which Vietnam is a signatory party.
To Lam has an ambitionto get re-elected in the ruling party’s National Congress in early next year and continueto lead the regime for at least one more term. He has promoted many his politicalallies from the Ministry of Public Security and Hung Yen province to regime’s key positions such as Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Duy Ngoc to head the party organization in Hanoi and Hung Yen man Luong Tam Quang to lead the police forces while numerous police officers were assigned to hold leading positions in cities and provinces.
With the detentions of the four activists, Vietnam is holding at least 265 prisoners of conscience, according to DTD’s statistics.
Former political prisoner Huynh Ngoc Tuan is the latest victim of the on-going political suppression. He was arrested on October 8 on allegation of “conducting anti-state propaganda” for his writing on social media such as Youtube and Facebook. In 1992, Tuan was convicted of the same charge and sentenced to ten years in prison.
The most recent conviction is the case of Protestant pastor Nguyen Manh Hung in which on October30, the People’s Court of Lam Dong province found him guilty of “conducting anti-statepropaganda” and sentenced him to six years in prison and five years of probation. He was arrested in early January this year, and allowed to meet his lawyer shortly before his trial.
Hanoi also targets activists who fled to foreign countries. Earlier this month, the Ministry of Public Security issued an arrest warrant for former prisoner of conscience Dang Thi Hue (ake Hue Nhu) who was allowed to reside in Germany after months living in exile in Thailand. She is also charged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” for voicing against human rights abuse across country after being released from prison in 2023.
Meanwhile, human rights defenders Nguyen Van Nghiem and Dinh Van Hai were released last week. Both werecharged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” just because they criticized the regime’ssocial-economic policies. The first was arrested in 2019 and sentenced to six yearsin prison while the second was detained in 2021 and given five years in prison.
Four activists charged with subversion and anti-state propaganda as police grap Vietnam’s leadership
Defend the Defenders, November 12, 2025
Four activists whowere arbitrarily detained in late August are being charged with two serious charges subversion and “conducting anti-state propaganda” as senior police officers havebeen promoted in senior positions of Vietnam’s authoritarian regime.
As Defend the Defenders(DTD) reported, in late August, several days prior to the 80th anniversary of the country’s independence (September 2), security officers from the Ministry of PublicSecurity detained four activists named Ho Sy Quyet (aka Quyet Ho), Tran Quang Trung (aka Ly Quang Son), Tran Quang Nam, and Nguyen Tuan Nghia.
After several days holding them without informing their families, police sent notices to their relatives saying they were arrested for anti-state activities generally without specific allegations.
When the family of Tran Quang Trung sent his lawyer Ha Huy Son with a request to meet him, the Security Investigation Agency under the Ministry of Public Security on September 26 replied that the activist is being investigated on conducting “Activities against the people’sgovernment” under Article 109 and “Making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the State of Socialist Republic of Vietnam” per Article 117 of the Criminal Code.
The first charge iswith a penalty of between 12 and 20 years in prison or even life imprisonment anddeath penalty while the second charge is with penalty of between five and 12 years or even 20 years in prison.
Police say the activists will not be able to meet with their lawyers and relatives until the investigation against them ends according to the Criminal Procedure Code.
Former political prisonerNguyen Van Dai, who was forced to live in exile in Germany from 2018, said that it is likely Vietnam’s police to take the four activists in a group to form one criminal case, meaning Ho Sy Quyet, Tran Quang Trung, Tran Quang Nam, and Nguyen Tuan Nghia are all charged with subversion and anti-state propaganda.
Dai, who practicedlegal counseling for a decade in Hanoi before being imprisoned in 2007 for promotingmulti-party democracy, said the four young men are just friends to each other andthey have focused on economic activities after Vietnam has intensified political crackdown since 2015 with hundreds of political dissidents and social activistsbeing imprisoned with lengthy sentence.
“The security forcestend to take individuals to form joint criminal cases to make the cases more serious which would bring to police investigators more credits with fast promotions and privileges,” says VuQuoc Ngu, director of Defend the Defenders.
The typical case was that the Hanoi Police Department arrested land petitioners Nguyen Thi Tam and Trinh Ba Phuong together in the “conducting anti-state propaganda” case although the two and human rights defenders worked separately, he added.
For the first time, there are four activists being charged with the two most serious allegations in the chapter Offences against National security of the Criminal Code. Each allegation goes with severe punishment of a decade imprisonment.
In 2018, pro-democracyLe Dinh Luong was convicted of subversion and sentenced to 20 years in prison whileland right activist Trinh Ba Phuong was sentenced to a total 21 years in prisonfor being convicted of “conducting anti-state propaganda” twice in 2020 and 2025.
“There is a clear trend in which Vietnam is imposing severer convictions with lengthier imprisonment for political dissidents, social activists and human rights defenders as more and more police generals are promoted to hold senior positions in the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam and its state and government agencies.
“By charging them with the two most serious allegations of the Criminal Code, Vietnam’s security forces want to threaten others that they will apply mercyless measures to ensure political monopoly so there is no political criticism to the way the authoritarian regime leads the nation,” DTD Director Vu Quoc Ngu said.
Vietnam’s authoritarian regime punishes activists without paying attention to the international concerns as the EU is focusing on the Russian invasion in Ukraine while the US under Trump’s administration reduces its roles of the democratic champion on the global stage, he added.
Vietnam has intensified suppression against political dissidents, social activists and human rights defenders since To Lam led security forces in 2010. When he headed the Ministry of PublicSecurity in 2016, he ordered the demolition of many social groups such as Brotherhoodfor Democracy (BFD), the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam (IJAVN),and the Liberal Publishing House. Numerous key members of these groups were arrested and sentenced up to 15 years in prison for “conducting anti-state propaganda” just for exercising their basic human rights enshrined in the country’s Constitution2013 and the international human rights treaties in which Vietnam is a signatory party.
To Lam has an ambitionto get re-elected in the ruling party’s National Congress in early next year and continueto lead the regime for at least one more term. He has promoted many his politicalallies from the Ministry of Public Security and Hung Yen province to regime’s key positions such as Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Duy Ngoc to head the party organization in Hanoi and Hung Yen man Luong Tam Quang to lead the police forces while numerous police officers were assigned to hold leading positions in cities and provinces.
With the detentions of the four activists, Vietnam is holding at least 265 prisoners of conscience, according to DTD’s statistics.
The most recent conviction is the case of Protestant pastor Nguyen Manh Hung in which on October30, the People’s Court of Lam Dong province found him guilty of “conducting anti-statepropaganda” and sentenced him to six years in prison and five years of probation. He was arrested in early January this year, and allowed to meet his lawyer shortlybefore his trial.
Meanwhile, human rights defenders Nguyen Van Nghiem and Dinh Van Hai were released last week. Both werecharged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” just because they criticized the regime’ssocial-economic policies. The first was arrested in 2019 and sentenced to six yearsin prison while the second was detained in 2021 and given five years in prison./.