Hanoi, Dec. 18, (dpa/GNA) – Vietnamese authorities have arrested a Facebook user over posts deemed as “anti-state” and “abusing democratic freedoms,” state media reported on Friday.
Truong Chau Huu Danh, 38, was arrested in the southern city of Can Tho over social media posts which authorities said “infringed upon the interests of the state” and against the legal rights of individuals and organizations.
Danh, a former journalist, will be detained for three months while he is investigated by the police, according to local newspaper Thanh Nhien.
Investigators took out an emergency arrest warrant and apprehended Danh at his home on Thursday.
Several roads leading to Danh’s house have been blocked, while police have seized numerous documents from his home.
Danh has grown a significant following on social media over recent years, particularly due to sharing posts that are considered critical of the Vietnamese state, and that contain “whistleblowing” not usually found in censored state media.
If he is found guilty, Danh faces a jail sentence of up to seven years.
Despite undergoing a series of economic reforms and opening up to international trade, the Vietnamese state remains intolerant of political dissent.
A report released by Amnesty International in November said there are currently 170 prisoners of conscience in Vietnam.
GNA