Vietnam blogger jailed for attempted subversion

Source: Associated Press

A French-Vietnamese maths professor has been sentenced to three years in a Vietnamese prison for belonging to a banned pro-democracy group and publishing an anti-communist blog, his lawyer said.

Pham Minh Hoang, 56, was found guilty of trying to overthrow the government by posting 33 articles against the one-party communist government, as well as of holding membership in the banned Viet Tan group and recruiting others to join it. It was the second high-profile dissident trial in just over a week.

US-based Viet Tan says it is a nonviolent advocate of democracy, but Hanoi considers it a terror organisation – a claim US officials say they have found no evidence to support.

Hoang told the court during the half-day trial in Ho Chi Minh City that he joined Viet Tan in France where it is not banned and that he did not do anything to oppose the government, according to defence lawyer Tran Vu Hai.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/10/vietnam-blogger-jailed