Vietnamese top journalist imprisoned for criticising government on Facebook

Trong Huy San, a top independent journalist and author in Vietnam, has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for posting critical articles about the government on Facebook.

The 63-year-old was convicted in a Hanoi court for “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the state” after publishing 13 articles that, according to prosecutors, had significant engagement and “negatively impacted social order and safety,” as cited by the Vietnam News Agency.

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Before becoming one of Vietnam’s most influential independent voices, Huy San worked for state-run newspaper and later ran a widely followed blog and Facebook page. His writings frequently criticized the country’s communist leadership on issues such as corruption, press censorship, and relations with China.

A former senior army lieutenant, Huy San was dismissed from his job at a state news outlet in 2009 after criticising Vietnam’s former communist ally, the Soviet Union.

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Huy San’s imprisonment is part of a wider crackdown on government critics. In a similar case, blogger Duong Van Thai was sentenced to 12 years in prison for publishing content deemed anti-state. In January, a former lawyer was jailed for three years over Facebook posts.

Vietnam, a one-party state with strict media controls, is one of the world’s leading jailers of journalists, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The organisation previously described Huy San’s work as “an invaluable source of information” that helped Vietnamese citizens access censored news.

The government has intensified its crackdown on civil society in recent years, tightening online regulations. In December, authorities enacted new digital rules requiring platforms like Facebook and TikTok to verify user identities and share data with the government. Under “Decree 147,” tech companies must store users’ full names, birth dates, and verified phone numbers or identification details.

Rights groups warn that such measures are part of an escalating effort to suppress dissent and control the flow of information in Vietnam.