Pham Chi Dung sentenced to 15 years in prison for anti-state crimes
The panel of judges determined that the defendants’ criminal acts were especially dangerous to society, harming national security, social order and safety. The defendants committed organized crimes and carried out anti-state activities for a long time.
On the morning of January 5, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court sentenced three defendants who are key members of the organization calling itself the "Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam" for "Making, storing, disseminating or propagating information, documents and items aimed at opposing the Socialist Republic of Vietnam".
According to the case, the three defendants Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy, and Le Huu Minh Tuan regularly contacted politically dissatisfied individuals at home and abroad, who were dissatisfied with the government. On July 4, 2014, Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy, and 39 others announced the establishment of the organization "Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam" (by 2018, there were 72 members).
Pham Chi Dung, in his role as “Chairman”, directed the creation of the website “Vietnam Times”, managed, received and approved the posting of information and articles by himself, by members and by collaborators with content opposing the Vietnamese State and propagandizing the activities of the “Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam”; thereby attracting and developing members at home and abroad to engage in activities opposing the Vietnamese State.
Pham Chi Dung used many different pen names to write and post 1,530 news and articles on the "Vietnam Times" page of the "Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam" with content that propagated, distorted the people's government, fabricated, and violated the reputation of the Communist Party of Vietnam to oppose the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Identified as Pham Chi Dung's accomplices, Nguyen Tuong Thuy, in his role as "Vice President of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam" in charge of the "Northern Branch", and Le Huu Minh Tuan, a member of the "Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam", used many pen names to publish many articles with content distorting the guidelines, policies and lines of our Party and State.
The panel of judges determined that the defendants’ criminal acts were particularly dangerous to society, harming national security, social order and safety, and supporting disgruntled elements and political opportunists, eroding people’s trust in the Party and the State, and causing confusion among the masses. The defendants committed organized crimes and engaged in anti-state activities for a long time. Therefore, strict punishment is needed to have a general educational, deterrent and preventive effect.
The panel sentenced defendant Pham Chi Dung to 15 years in prison for “Making, storing, disseminating or propagating information, documents and items aimed at opposing the Socialist Republic of Vietnam”, according to Clause 2, Article 117 of the Penal Code. The two defendants Nguyen Tuong Thuy and Le Huu Minh Tuan were each sentenced to 11 years in prison. The defendants must serve 3 years of probation in their localities after completing their prison terms.
