Vietnamese journalist Truong Huy San is being held in pre-trial detention for abusing democracy to infringe on the interests of the state, a charge outlined in Article 331 of the penal code frequently used by the ruling Communist Party to stifle independent news reporting.
San, a well-known political commentator and author also known by his pen names Huy Duc and Osin, was apprehended by the police on June 1, 2024, in the capital Hanoi while traveling to an event where he was scheduled to speak, and his home was also searched, according to multiple news reports.
Days before his arrest, San wrote critical commentary about Vietnamese politics on his Facebook page, which had more than 350,000 followers and was shut down on June 2 for unknown reasons, those sources said.
In his posts, San wrote about two of Vietnam’s top leaders — the then-ruling, now-deceased Communist Party’s long-serving chief Nguyen Phu Trong and President To Lam, who was appointed on May 22 after being nominated by the party, the BBC said.
In his post to his 350,000 followers, San argued that Vietnam’s development could not be based on fear and noted Lam’s long-time role as Minister of Public Security. Lam has since assumed Trong’s top-ranking position.
San wrote about corruption and political reform for leading newspapers and published a popular blog before receiving a Nieman Fellowship to study at Harvard University in 2012 and 2013.
San was being held at a Ho Chi Minh City detention center in late 2024, a source in contact with his family who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisals told CPJ.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security, which oversees the country’s prison system, did not respond to CPJ’s emailed request for comment on San’s legal status, detention and health in late 2024.