Hanoi court sentences exiled journalist Doan Bao Chau in absentia to seven years under Article 117

On 3 August 2026 the Hanoi People's Court sentenced Doan Bao Chau, a former freelancer for AP and AFP and reporter for the New York Times who fled to Canada in July 2025, to seven years in prison in absentia plus five years' probation under Article 117. Prosecutors alleged his Facebook and YouTube videos contained distorted information damaging the government's reputation.