Huynh Ngoc Tuan, an independent Vietnamese journalist and writer, is being held in pre-trial detention on the charge of “propagandizing against the state” and faces up to 20 years in prison.
Tuan was arrested under Article 117 of the penal code on October 7, 2025, 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.
He was previously imprisoned for 10 years followed by five years of house arrest for his critical writings under Article 88 of the penal code, which has since been replaced with Article 117.
He regularly posts commentary on Vietnamese politics, human rights, and international affairs on his personal Facebook page. In 2012, Tuan received Human Rights Watch’s Hellman/Hammett award, which recognizes persecuted writers and bloggers.
Tuan and his family have long faced government harassment, including home raids, surveillance, confiscation of computers and documents, and travel restrictions, Vy said. In 2013, Tuan was arrested and beaten by Hanoi police, resulting in a broken sternum, while traveling to a meeting to form an Association of Former Political Prisoners of Conscience, Vy told CPJ.
Tuan suffers from severe diabetes and requires daily insulin shots, according to Vy, who said she is concerned about his health in detention. He is being held at the Dak Lak Provincial Police Detention Center and has not been allowed to meet with family or a lawyer, she said.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security did not reply to CPJ’s emailed request for comment.