Hanoi court jails anti-State propagandist for five years

The Hanoi People’s Court has sentenced Le Van Dung, a resident in the city’s Ha Dong district, to five years in prison for “conducting propaganda against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam”.

At the first-instance trial on March 23, the court also decided to put the defendant, born in 1970 and living in Ha Cau ward, under five-year surveillance after he completes his jail term.

His accessory, Nguyen Van Son, born in 1956 and living in Phuong Tu commune of Hanoi’s Ung Hoa district, received a suspended 18-month prison sentence with 36 months’ probation for “hiding a criminal”.

According to the indictment, from March 2017 to September 2018, Dung made and posted 12 video clips, including five that distorted the State’s guidelines and policies, defamed the people’s administration, and spread fabricated information stirring public concern.

After police launched legal action, Dung fled and was later arrested while hiding at Son’s house. Son knew that Dung was being wanted by the investigation agency but still let Dung stay at his home until Dung was uncovered and detained.

At the trial, Dung admitted his acts as pointed out in the indictment but said those acts did not violate the law. Meanwhile, Son pleaded guilty to all of his wrongdoing.

The jury held that this is a serious case that threats national security. Dung was aware that his acts ran counter to the law but still intentionally committed the crime.

Earlier, he had been fined thrice by police of Hoan Kiem district for causing public disorder./.