Nguyễn Văn Đà is now wanted by the Ministry of Public Security’s Security Agency for Investigation under a wanted notice issued on December 5, 2025. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Hà Nội People’s Court on Wednesday announced that it will open the first-instance trial of Nguyễn Văn Đài for “making, storing, distributing, or spreading information or documents aimed at sabotaging the State of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam” on December 31.

Đài, born in 1969 in Hưng Yên province and residing in Bạch Mai ward of Hà Nội before leaving for Germany, was prosecuted for the charge under Clause 2 of Article 117 of the Penal Code by the Supreme People's Procuracy.

He is currently wanted by the Ministry of Public Security’s Security Agency for Investigation under a wanted notice issued on December 5, 2025. The Hà Nội People’s Court calls on Dai to surrender himself and be present at the hearing to exercise his right to self-defence in accordance with the law.

Previously, Đài had two prior convictions, including the appellate criminal judgment No. 1037/2007/HSPT, dated November 27, 2007, of the Supreme People’s Court in Hanoi, sentencing him to four years’ imprisonment and four years’ probation for “propagandising against the State of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam” under Article 88 of the 1999 Penal Code (sentence fully served but criminal record not expunged).

The other is the first-instance criminal judgment No. 117/2018/HS-ST, dated April 5, 2018, of the Hà Nội People’s Court, sentencing him to 15 years’ imprisonment and five years’ probation for “activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration” under Article 79 of the 1999 Penal Code. The judgment remains legally valid, but Đài was temporarily suspended from serving his prison sentence under Decision No. 207/2018/QD-CA, dated June 7, 2018, of the Hanoi People’s Court. — VNA/VNS