A Vietnam court has sentenced Facebook user Pham Van Cho to seven years in prison and an additional two years of probation for disseminating what authorities described as anti-state propaganda. The case has raised significant concerns about freedom of expression in Vietnam, particularly in relation to social media activity.
Pham Van Cho was arrested in January by the police of the Hung Yen province and faced prosecution starting January 29. Authorities claimed he utilized two Facebook accounts to distribute information detrimental to the Vietnamese Socialist Republic and the country’s former president, Ho Chi Minh. A declarative admission from Pham Van Cho attested to his management of the social media accounts in question. His actions were prosecuted under Section 117 of the Vietnam Criminal Code, which prohibits the making, storing, or spreading of information meant to oppose the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
This particular section of the criminal code has come under scrutiny, with a 2022 petition from 86 individuals and organizations calling for its abolition, as well as the abrogation of Sections 109 and 331, which respectively prohibit activities against the people’s government and abuses of democratic freedoms that infringe upon state or citizen interests. Critics argue that such legal provisions are overly broad and can be leveraged to penalize lawful expression.
The Vietnamese government has faced previous criticism for its restrictive stance on freedom of expression and press freedom. The use of its Penal Code to imprison journalists and other critics is well-documented. For example, prominent journalists Pham Doan Trang and Truong Huy San have both been imprisoned for their critical views on the government. Reporters Without Borders has reported on the arbitrary detention of journalists in Vietnam, noting that 43 journalists were detained for at least 48 hours in 2023, and 36 remain in custody. Vietnam currently ranks 174th out of 180 countries on the global index for press freedom as maintained by Reporters Without Borders.
The case of Pham Van Cho underscores the ongoing controversy surrounding Vietnam’s legal restrictions on freedom of speech and its implications for citizens and journalists alike.
Read the full story on JURIST: Vietnam court sentences Facebook user to 7 years in prison for ‘anti-state propaganda’.