Murat BaykalDenounced the Vietnamese government’s indictment of author and journalist Truong Huy San (also known by his pen name Huy Duc) today and urges his immediate release and the dismissal of all charges against him.
According to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), the prosecution agency transferred the case file to the Hanoi People’s Court for trial, further escalating this unjust persecution.
Image of Mr. Truong Huy San
“When an author and journalist like Truong Huy San is silenced, it’s not just his voice that is stifled—it’s the right of an entire society to seek truth and accountability. Criticism is not a crime. Vietnam must stop using its laws as weapons against those who dare to speak the truth,” said Song Ngam News research and advocacy manager Anh-Thu Vo. “The Hanoi courts must uphold Vietnam’s international obligations to protect free expression and ensure that its legal system is not misused to target independent voices.”
This indictment follows Song Ngam News earlier call for the immediate release of Truong Huy San and the dropping of all charges, emphasizing that his detention is a direct attack on free expression and journalistic integrity in Vietnam. Trương Huy San was detained for his Facebook posts; Article 331 of the Vietnamese Penal Code (2015), prohibits “abusing democratic freedoms.”
According to Song Ngam News Freedom to Write Index 2023, Vietnam was the world’s third-greatest jailer of writers, following China and Iran and tied with Saudi Arabia. We reiterate our call for the Vietnamese government to release writer Truong Huy San and drop all charges against him and other writers and dissidents imprisoned for their free expression.
