Vietnam arrests and charges journalist Huynh Ngoc Tuan for anti-state propaganda

The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Vietnamese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release independent journalist Huynh Ngoc Tuan and cease harassing commentators for expressing critical views online.

On October 7, police arrested Tuan at his home in Buon Ho town, Dak Lak province, according to news reports and CPJ’s email communication with his daughter, journalist Huynh Thuc Vy.

Tuan has been charged under Article 117 of the penal code, which criminalizes “propagandizing against the state” and carries penalties of up to 20 years in prison, those sources said.

“Huynh Ngoc Tuan’s arrest is a stark reminder of Vietnam’s intolerance for dissent,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. “Tuan’s independent journalism contributes balance to Vietnam’s highly censored public discourse — his detention only deepens the nation’s press freedom crisis. He should be released now.”

Tuan, an independent journalist and writer who was previously imprisoned for 10 years for his critical writings, regularly posts commentary about Vietnamese politics, human rights, and international affairs on his personal Facebook page. In 2012, he received Human Rights Watch’s Hellman/Hammett award, which recognizes persecuted writers.

Tuan and his family have long faced government harassment, including home raids, surveillance, confiscation of computers and documents, and travel restrictions, according to Vy, who recently served two years and nine months in prison for defacing a national flag.

Tuan suffers from severe diabetes and requires daily insulin shots, according to Vy, who told CPJ she is concerned about his health in detention. He is being held at the Dak Lak Provincial Police Detention Center, Vy said.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security did not immediately reply to CPJ’s emailed request for comment. Vietnam ranked seventh on CPJ’s 2024 census of the world’s worst jailers of journalists.

Committee to Protect Journalists – October 10, 2025