A blogger imprisoned for subversive propaganda

A 69-year-old man in Hà Nội was sentenced to five years and six months in prison for anti-State propaganda by the municipal People’s Court on Friday.

Phạm Chí Thành, residing in Đồng Tâm Ward of Hai Bà Trưng District, was found guilty of “creating, storing, distributing, or spreading information, documents against the State of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam” under Clause 1 of Article 17 in the 2015 Penal Code.

The indictment by the Hà Nội People’s Procuracy said that in around February 2012, Thành started a blog named “Bà Đầm Xòe” to post his writings. In mid-2014, he opened a Facebook page named “Phạm Thành” and continued posting many articles on different websites.

In July 2019, he gathered the writings earlier posted on the internet in a book and then distributed it.

The 21 articles in this book contained fabricated information distorting and defaming the people’s administration.

Thành also repeatedly gave interviews about his book’s distribution to foreign media outlets and some individuals in the country. Those interviews were posted on the internet and Facebook.

He distributed more than 220 copies of the book, including 194 delivered to others in Việt Nam and abroad via the post. He also sold and presented some to other individuals.

From September 13, 2019 to May 21, 2020, Thành gained more than VNĐ80 million (nearly US$3,500 at the current exchange rate) from the book’s distribution, with most of the money transferred to his bank account. After deducting costs, he earned over VNĐ18 million, according to the indictment./.