Mr. Huynh Ngoc Tuan at the trial on April 2, 2026 (Vietnam News Agency)
Defend the Defenders, April 2, 2026
Former prisoner of conscience Huynh Ngoc Tuan, who spent ten years in prison for “conducting anti-state propaganda” more than two decades ago, has been given another lengthy imprisonment for the same allegation for criticizing the one-party regime in Vietnam.
Tuan, 67, was re-arrested on October 8, 2025 by the police in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak on allegation of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code.
After six months being held incommunicado, on April 2, he was brought to a court carried out by the Dak Lak province’s People’s Court, the state-controlled media reported.
During a short first-instance hearing without the presence of a lawyer and relatives, Mr. Tuan was found guilty and sentenced to eight years and six months in prison. In addition, the independent journalist has to serve a five-year probation after the imprisonment.
Particularly, he was blamed for producing 11 livestreams and posting 21 articles on Facebook with a content defaming the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam and its government in the period between May and September 2025.
According to his relatives, Saigon-based lawyer Nguyen Kha Thanh was hired by his family to defend him in the trial, however, the attorney was not allowed to attend the hearing.
Tuan, a government critic, was arrested for the first time in 1992 and charged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 88 of the Penal Code. He was later sentenced to ten years in prison for “sending and distributing abroad a number of works that criticised the government.”
For his contribution to promote human rights and multi-party democracy, in 2012, he was given Hellmann/Hammett Award by Human Right Watch.
His oldest daughter Huynh Thuc Vy is also a government critic. She was imprisoned for 33 months for defacing Vietnam’s national flag. His only son Huynh Trong Hieu, an activist for religious freedom, has also been under political suppression, not allowed to travel abroad.
Tuan is the third activist being convicted of “conducting anti-state propaganda” within a week.
On March 27, the People’s Court in Nghe An province sentenced Nguyen Duy Niem to five years in prison. He was arrested on October 11 last year.
A few day later, the Hanoi People’s Court sent Pham Van Chinh to prison with the same length, possible for his online posts unfavorable for VinFast, the first car producing firm in the Southeast Asian nation.
Meanwhile, former prisoner of conscience Le Anh Hung was re-arrested on March 9 with the same allegation for his accusation against late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, former Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai, and many other senior officials of the communist regime.
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April 3, 2026
Former POC Huynh Ngoc Tuan Convicted of “Conducting Anti-state Propaganda” with More 8-year-and-half Imprisonment
by Defend the Defenders • [Human Rights]
Mr. Huynh Ngoc Tuan at the trial on April 2, 2026 (Vietnam News Agency)
Defend the Defenders, April 2, 2026
Former prisoner of conscience Huynh Ngoc Tuan, who spent ten years in prison for “conducting anti-state propaganda” more than two decades ago, has been given another lengthy imprisonment for the same allegation for criticizing the one-party regime in Vietnam.
Tuan, 67, was re-arrested on October 8, 2025 by the police in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak on allegation of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code.
After six months being held incommunicado, on April 2, he was brought to a court carried out by the Dak Lak province’s People’s Court, the state-controlled media reported.
During a short first-instance hearing without the presence of a lawyer and relatives, Mr. Tuan was found guilty and sentenced to eight years and six months in prison. In addition, the independent journalist has to serve a five-year probation after the imprisonment.
Particularly, he was blamed for producing 11 livestreams and posting 21 articles on Facebook with a content defaming the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam and its government in the period between May and September 2025.
According to his relatives, Saigon-based lawyer Nguyen Kha Thanh was hired by his family to defend him in the trial, however, the attorney was not allowed to attend the hearing.
Tuan, a government critic, was arrested for the first time in 1992 and charged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 88 of the Penal Code. He was later sentenced to ten years in prison for “sending and distributing abroad a number of works that criticised the government.”
For his contribution to promote human rights and multi-party democracy, in 2012, he was given Hellmann/Hammett Award by Human Right Watch.
His oldest daughter Huynh Thuc Vy is also a government critic. She was imprisoned for 33 months for defacing Vietnam’s national flag. His only son Huynh Trong Hieu, an activist for religious freedom, has also been under political suppression, not allowed to travel abroad.
Tuan is the third activist being convicted of “conducting anti-state propaganda” within a week.
On March 27, the People’s Court in Nghe An province sentenced Nguyen Duy Niem to five years in prison. He was arrested on October 11 last year.
A few day later, the Hanoi People’s Court sent Pham Van Chinh to prison with the same length, possible for his online posts unfavorable for VinFast, the first car producing firm in the Southeast Asian nation.
Meanwhile, former prisoner of conscience Le Anh Hung was re-arrested on March 9 with the same allegation for his accusation against late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, former Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai, and many other senior officials of the communist regime.