Vietnam sentences journalist Huynh Ngoc Tuan to 8½ years for anti-state propaganda

Bangkok, April 2, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Thursday’s sentencing of Vietnamese journalist Huynh Ngoc Tuan to eight years and six months in prison under a criminal provision that bars “propagandizing against the state.”

The People’s Court of Dak Lak Province ruled that 11 of Tuan’s live videos and 21 Facebook posts were defamatory, spread false information, and undermined trust in the ruling Communist party and state, the journalist’s daughter, Huynh Thuc Vy, told CPJ and state media reported.

Tuan, who regularly posts commentary on Vietnamese politics, human rights, and international affairs, was convicted under Article 117 of the penal code.

“Vietnamese authorities have once again weaponized vague propaganda laws to silence a reporter whose only offense is speaking truth to power,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. “Huynh Ngoc Tuan should be released immediately and unconditionally, and Vietnam must stop using anti-state laws to criminalize journalism.”

Tuan was arrested on October 7, 2025, at his home in Buon Ho town, in central Dak Lak province, and held incommunicado without access to lawyers or outside visitors until April 2’s closed one-day trial, which his family was not informed about in advance, according to Vy. It was not immediately clear whether Tuan intends to appeal the ruling, which includes five years of probation, Vy said.

Tuan and his family have long been targeted for harassment, including home raids, surveillance, confiscation of computers and documents, and travel restrictions, according to Vy, who recently completed two years and nine months in prison for blogging that included a post in which she defaced a Vietnamese flag.

Tuan, who previously served 10 years in prison for his critical writings, has severe diabetes and requires daily insulin shots, Vy told CPJ. He is being held at the Dak Lak Provincial Police Detention Center, she said.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security did not immediately reply to CPJ’s emailed request for comment. 

Vietnam is among the world’s worst jailers of journalists, with 17 currently behind bars, according to CPJ data.