A Vietnamese blogger, Truong Duy Nhat, has been sentenced to two years in prison on a charge of "abusing democratic freedoms to infringe on the interests of the state and on the legitimate rights and interests or organisations and citizens."
Nhat, 50, who lives in the central city of Danang, insisted on his innocence throughout his trial. He acknowledged posting content critical of the authorities but denied that it violated any law.
He has been under detention since his arrest in May 2013. He used to work for various state-controlled newspapers – including the police paper, Bao Cong An Quang Nam Danang – until launching his blog, "Another point of view," in 2011.
Benjamin Ismaïl, of the press freedom watchdog, Reporters Without Borders, said: "We are outraged by the continuing persecution of bloggers. Like Le Quoc Quan, whose jail term was upheld two weeks ago, Nhat is being jailed for his commitment to Vietnam's right to an alternative to the information provided by the state propaganda machine.
"We demand the release of Nhat and all the other detained bloggers, who are guilty solely of promoting freedom of information in Vietnam."
Sources: RSF/Washington Times. To sign the petition calling for the release of 35 Vietnamese bloggers go here
