The People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City on May 12 sentenced Tran Van Bang, born 1961, to eight years in jail for “fabricating, storing, spreading, or disseminating information, materials, items for opposing the government of Socialist Republic of Vietnam” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code 2015.

Bang, who is from the northern province of Hai Duong, will be supervised in his residence for three years after completing his prison term, according to the sentence announced by the court in the first-instance trial on May 12.

According to the indictment, from 2016 to May 2021, Bang used three Facebook accounts to post 39 articles spreading distorted information, slandering the people’s administration and calling for a boycott of the general elections of Vietnam and support of pluralism and multi-party regime.

He also kept many documents and publications with contents harming the great national unity bloc; inciting invasion war, causing enmity among peoples and nations; encouraging violence; distorting historical facts; denying revolutionary achievements; slandering and insult the nation; offending the reputation of agencies and organisations and the honour and dignity of individuals, national heroes and leaders; defaming prestige and honour of the Communist Party of Vietnam; spreading reactionary ideas; popularising fabricated or untrue information; seriously offending the honour and reputation of the People’s Court and the People’s Public Security force.

At the court, Bang admitted to his actions but refused to accept the charges in the indictment.

The jury concluded that Bang’s activities are serious and dangerous to the society, harming the national security, requiring adequate punishments.

The police have also launched legal procedures against a number of suspects related to the case, including Pham Thi Doan Trang and Pham Chi Thanh who gave Bang some illegal documents./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency