Man handed six-year prison term for anti-State propaganda

The People's Court of Hanoi on April 12 sentenced 47-year-old Nguyen Lan Thang, a resident of Hanoi’s Dong Da district - to six years in prison for "making, storing, disseminating or propagandising information, documents, materials aimed at opposing the Socialist Republic of Vietnam" under the Penal Code.

In addition, during the first-instance trial, the court also sentenced Thang to two years of probation after serving the prison sentence.

According to the indictment of the Hanoi People's Procuracy, from June 13, 2018, to December 31, 2020, Thang gave interviews for various websites and had 12 video clips posted on the internet with content aimed at opposing the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Among them, there were 11 items distorting the Communist Party of Vietnam’s orientations and policies, slandering the people’s administration; eight deemed engaging in psychological warfare, spreading false information, causing confusion among the public; and four of contents distorting, slandering, and insulting the reputation of organisations and individuals.

In addition, Thang also kept in his possession two books with contents distorting, slandering the people’s administration; 14 spreading false information, causing confusion among the public; 14 propagandising psychological warfare; and 12 distorting, slandering, and insulting the reputation of organisations and individuals.