A Vietnamese court on Thursday sentenced Nguyen Chi Tuyen, a well-known YouTuber and activist who raised concerns about environmental issues and land rights, to five years in prison on charges of opposing the state, according to his lawyer Nguyen Ha Luan.
Tuyen, also known as Anh Chi, co-founded the football club No-U FC, whose members protested against China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, an area where Vietnam also has claims.He was vocal about various sensitive social issues in Vietnam, such as environmental pollution, land disputes, and global conflicts, including the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. One of his YouTube channels, Anh Chi Rau Den, has amassed 1,600 videos and 98,000 subscribers.
Observers note that the Vietnamese government has intensified its crackdown on dissent in recent years. Prior to Tuyen’s trial, Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Vietnamese authorities to release him, with Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at HRW, stating, “Vietnam’s authorities have targeted Nguyen Chi Tuyen for expressing views they don’t like.” She further called on the government to stop imprisoning peaceful critics, abolish its oppressive penal laws, and end the systematic violation of fundamental rights.
Tuyen had previously shared on social media that he had been subjected to police harassment, physical assaults, house arrest, and a ban on international travel. In April last year, he wrote on Facebook, “We did not fight, did not try to win things from anybody. We only acted in accordance with our conscience, speaking our thoughts, voicing our desires and aspirations.”
Tuyen’s arrest occurred on the same day as the arrest of Nguyen Vu Binh, a political activist who had previously served nearly five years in prison in the early 2000s. No trial date has been set for Binh.
According to HRW, Vietnamese police have arrested at least 269 individuals since 2016 for peacefully exercising their basic civil and political rights. In April last year, Nguyen Lan Thang, a friend of Tuyen and fellow member of the No-U FC team, was sentenced to six years in prison on similar charges. Thang was a prominent freelance journalist who reported on protests and human rights violations.
Tuyen, also known as Anh Chi, co-founded the football club No-U FC, whose members protested against China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, an area where Vietnam also has claims.He was vocal about various sensitive social issues in Vietnam, such as environmental pollution, land disputes, and global conflicts, including the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. One of his YouTube channels, Anh Chi Rau Den, has amassed 1,600 videos and 98,000 subscribers.
Observers note that the Vietnamese government has intensified its crackdown on dissent in recent years. Prior to Tuyen’s trial, Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Vietnamese authorities to release him, with Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at HRW, stating, “Vietnam’s authorities have targeted Nguyen Chi Tuyen for expressing views they don’t like.” She further called on the government to stop imprisoning peaceful critics, abolish its oppressive penal laws, and end the systematic violation of fundamental rights.
Tuyen had previously shared on social media that he had been subjected to police harassment, physical assaults, house arrest, and a ban on international travel. In April last year, he wrote on Facebook, “We did not fight, did not try to win things from anybody. We only acted in accordance with our conscience, speaking our thoughts, voicing our desires and aspirations.”
Tuyen’s arrest occurred on the same day as the arrest of Nguyen Vu Binh, a political activist who had previously served nearly five years in prison in the early 2000s. No trial date has been set for Binh.
According to HRW, Vietnamese police have arrested at least 269 individuals since 2016 for peacefully exercising their basic civil and political rights. In April last year, Nguyen Lan Thang, a friend of Tuyen and fellow member of the No-U FC team, was sentenced to six years in prison on similar charges. Thang was a prominent freelance journalist who reported on protests and human rights violations.