Anti-State propagandist sentenced to eight years in prison
The People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City on May 12 sentenced Tran Van Bang, born 1961, to eight years in jail for “fabricating, storing, spreading, or disseminating information, materials, items for opposing the government of Socialist Republic of Vietnam” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code 2015.
Tran Vang Ban is sentenced to eight years in prison. (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) – The People’s Court of Ho Chi MinhCity on May 12 sentenced Tran Van Bang, born 1961, to eight years in jail for“fabricating, storing, spreading, or disseminating information, materials, itemsfor opposing the government of Socialist Republic of Vietnam” under Article117 of the Criminal Code 2015.
Bang, who is from the northern province of Hai Duong, willbe supervised in his residence for three years after completing his prison term, according to the sentence announced by the court in the first-instancetrial on May 12.
According to the indictment, from 2016 to May 2021, Bang usedthree Facebook accounts to post 39 articles spreading distorted information,slandering the people’s administration and calling for a boycott of the generalelections of Vietnam and support of pluralism and multi-party regime.
He also kept many documents and publications with contents harming the great national unity bloc; inciting invasionwar, causing enmity among peoples and nations; encouraging violence; distortinghistorical facts; denying revolutionary achievements; slandering and insult thenation; offending the reputation of agencies and organisations and the honourand dignity of individuals, national heroes and leaders; defaming prestige and honour of the Communist Party of Vietnam; spreadingreactionary ideas; popularising fabricated or untrue information; seriouslyoffending the honour and reputation of the People's Court and the People'sPublic Security force.
At the court, Bang admitted to his actions but refused toaccept the charges in the indictment.
The jury concluded that Bang’s activities are serious and dangerous to thesociety, harming the national security, requiring adequate punishments.
The police have also launched legal procedures against anumber of suspects related to the case, including Pham Thi Doan Trang and PhamChi Thanh who gave Bang some illegal documents./.
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Tran Vang Ban is sentenced to eight years in prison. (Photo: VNA) 
