An appeal court in Hà Nội yesterday upheld the five-year imprisonment sentence for blogger Nguyễn Hữu Vinh, on the charge of “abusing the rights to democracy and freedom to infringe on the interests of the State and rights and interests of organisations and citizens”. — Photo tuoitre.vn

HÀ NỘI – An appeal court in Hà Nội yesterday upheld the five-year imprisonment sentence for blogger Nguyễn Hữu Vinh, on the charge of “abusing the rights to democracy and freedom to infringe on the interests of the State and rights and interests of organisations and citizens”.
Vinh’s assistant Nguyễn Thị Minh Thúy, 36, was sentenced to three years in prison.

Both Vinh, better known as Anh Ba Sàm, and Thúy live in Hà Nội.

According to the indictment, Vinh, 60, launched the blog “Dân Quyền” at diendanxahoidansu.wordpress.com, and “Chép Sử Việt” at chepsuviet.wordpress.com in September 2013 and January 2014, respectively. Vinh had asked Thúy to release 24 articles containing groundless content on the websites that distorted Party policies and State laws, tarnished personal reputations and affected organisations’ prestige, presenting a one-sided and pessimistic view, and causing public anxiety.

Throughout the interrogation and arguments, both defendants denied the charges. Vinh’s lawyers also said at the court that there was not enough evidence to convict.

After considering the defendants’ testimony and lawyers’ arguments, the indictment and related evidence and documents in the court on March 23, the panel judges came to the conclusion that Vinh and Thúy’s actions constituted an abuse of their rights to democracy and freedom, in order to infringe on the interests of the State and rights and interests of organisations and citizens as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 258 of the Penal Code.

The council said the act is dangerous to society and the sentences handed down by the previous court must be maintained.
The prison terms of Vinh and Thúy are counted from May 5, 2014.— VNS