TransparencyAbuse of power & retaliationCourts & justice
Vietnamese court sentences journalist Huynh Ngoc Tuan to 8.5 years under Article 117 after a one-day closed trial
Confidence: Alleged · 2 sourcesVietnam · Oct 12, 2026
Subject of this story
People's Court of Dak Lak Province
Also named
Affected
Huynh Ngoc Tuan, Vietnamese journalist and writer
Advocate
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
What happened
On 2 April 2026 the People's Court of Dak Lak Province sentenced Huynh Ngoc Tuan to 8 years and 6 months in prison plus five years' probation under Article 117 of the Penal Code, over 11 livestreamed videos and 21 Facebook posts. State media said authorities found the content distorted, spread false information and undermined trust in the Communist Party. CPJ reports he was arrested on 7 October 2025, held without access to a lawyer until a one-day closed trial, and had previously served 10 years for his writing.
By the numbers (1)
● confirmed by a primary document · ○ reported
Roles
○
Huynh Ngoc Tuan was sentenced to 8 years and 6 months.
1 source
- Committee to Protect Journalists
sentenced to 8 years and 6 months
Sources (2)
Committee to Protect JournalistsArrested October 7, 2025 ... held without lawyer access until his one-day closed trial; sentenced to 8 years and 6 months.
Viet Nam NewsThe People's Court of Dak Lak sentenced him on April 2, 2026; authorities extracted 11 livestreamed videos and 21 posts they determined spread false information.
Response
People's Court of Dak Lak Province
Not yet contacted
Not yet contacted for this story.
What happened next (0)
No outcome recorded yet.