Bui Manh Dong
Current Status: Likely released - at risk
Other Names: Bùi Mạnh Đồng
Date of Birth: 1978
Gender: M
Ethnicity: Kinh
Areas of Activism:
- Freedom of expression
- Press
Details
Background
Bui Manh Dong is from Can Tho City, in the Mekong Delta area of Vietnam.
History of ActivismDong posted social and political commentary on Facebook. He had been summoned by police on July 5 to discuss his articles on Facebook.
Sentenced to 2 years 6 months in prison under Art. 331 (2015 Code). Expected Release is March 1, 2021.
September 1, 2018
- Art. 331 (2015 Code)
Thot Not district public security, Can Tho city
Thot Not district, Can Tho City (map)
September 27, 2018 - Date of trial
The People’s Court of Thot Not District, Can Tho City
2 years 6 months in prison
March 1, 2021
Details of Imprisonment
Dong was detained on September 1, 2018 by the police of Thot Not District, Can Tho city. He was originally charged under Article 288 of the 2015 Criminal Code for “illegal provision or use of information on computer networks or telecommunications networks.”
Dong was tried on September 27, 2018 and sentenced to 2.5 years in prison under Art. 331 of the 2015 Criminal Code. According to the indictment of the People’s Procuracy, Dong was accused of creating many documents with distorted contents during the period from 2017 to July of 2018, which were meant to defame the Party, state, and other leaders, such as Former President Ho Chi Minh or Former President Ton Duc Thang. Dong was accused of using two Facebook accounts, namely “Ăn cướp Công an” and “Kiều Thanh”, to post his documents. The Investigation Agency checked his laptop and two Facebook accounts and found more than 50 pages of documents containing information that they claimed harmful to the national political security and the social order. He was said to admit to and regret his alleged wrongdoings at trial.
Bui Manh Dong was the fourth Facebooker in Can Tho City convicted under the accusation of “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State” in September 2018. Three others were Nguyen Hong Nguyen, Truong Dinh Khang, and Doan Khanh Vinh Quang. The trials of these Facebookers were held within only one week.
ResourcesVietnam arrests four ahead of national day, Channel News Asia, September 2, 2018
Lãnh án tù vì đăng bài xuyên tạc lên mạng xã hội, Dân trí Newspaper, September 27, 2018
Phạt tù bị cáo Bùi Mạnh Đồng về tội 'Lợi dụng các quyền tự do dân chủ xâm phạm lợi ích của Nhà nước…’, Thể Thao và Văn Hóa Newspaper, September 27, 2018
Phạt 30 tháng tù facebooker "Kiều Thanh" vì đăng bài bôi nhọ lãnh đạo Đảng, Nhà nước, SOHA Newspaper, September 27, 2018
Can Tho Imprisoned 4th Blogger on Allegation of “Abusing Democratic Freedoms,” Defend the Defenders, September 27, 2018
Vietnam jails another Facebook user for comments critical of government, Reuters, September 27, 2018
RFA Vietnam Facebook post
Profile last updated: 2024-06-13 20:34:04