Phan Huu Diep Anh
Current Status: Sentenced to prison
Other Names: Phan Hữu Điệp Anh
Date of Birth: 1961
Gender: M
Ethnicity: Kinh
Areas of Activism:
- Freedom of expression
- Press
Details
Immediate Concerns
June 2022:
Facebooker Phan Huu Diep Anh was given a prison sentence of one and a half years for “abuse of democratic freedoms” by a Ho Chi Minh City court on June 23. Anh was convicted of posting false information about how the authorities’ were handling the pandemic. Investigators said there was one video in particular of a person immolating himself which Anh wrongly attributed to COVID-related stress. Anh’s relatively light sentence was due in part to his good background and his sincere admission of guilt, said the court.
Background
Anh lives and works in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City.
Profile photo: Phan Huu Diep Anh at the public security office, Source.
History of ActivismAccording to comments by the local authorities, Anh has been using his Facebook account named Phan Anh to criticise the Party’s leadership. However, prior to his arrest, Anh was an ordinary citizen using the online platform only to share his thoughts and opinions.
Sentenced to 1 year 6 months in prison under Art. 331 (2015 Code). Expected Release is January 21, 2023.
July 21, 2021
- Art. 331 (2015 Code)
Binh Thanh district public security, Ho Chi Minh City
Binh Thanh District (map)
June 23, 2022 - Date of trial
People’s Court of Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City
1 year 6 months in prison
January 21, 2023
Details of Imprisonment
On July 21 2021, the Public Security of Binh Thanh District, with the approval of the same level of Procuracy, officially prosecuted Phan Huu Diep Anh. They accused him of posting defamatory and false information concerning a self-immolation incident, spreading fear and confusion among the population.
Specifically, on July 19, 2021, there was a self-immolation incident at Truong Tho Ward, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City. Diep Anh recorded and post it on several Facebook forums, saying that the failure of anti COVID-19 efforts in the city led to the man’s suicide. The local authorities denied this interpretation; they conveniently explained that the man had a mental illness, and that his incident had nothing to do with COVID-19.
For this simple post, Diep Anh will be detained for two months for further “investigation.” However, they also noted that there are several posts in Anh’s Facebook account that potentially violate Article 331 too.
ResourcesKhởi tố, bắt giam đối tượng tung tin “tự thiêu vì phẫn uất với công tác phòng chống dịch ở TPHCM“, Sai Gon Giai Phong, July 21, 2021
Facebooker đăng tin COVID-19 bị khởi tố theo Điều 331 Bộ Luật Hình sự, RFA Vietnamese, July 21, 2021
Khởi tố đối tượng tung tin xuyên tạc phòng chống dịch COVID-19, Công an Nhân dân, July 21, 2021
Khởi tố vụ án, khởi tố bị can, bắt tạm giam 2 tháng đối tượng Phan Hữu Điệp Anh, Đảng Bộ thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, July 21, 2021
Phê chuẩn Lệnh bắt tạm giam đối tượng tung tin xuyên tạc liên quan đến dịch COVID-19, Kiem Sat, July 21, 2021
Bị can Phan Hữu Điệp Anh khai gì về vụ tung tin người đàn ông tự thiêu?, Thanh Nien, July 21, 2021
Bị án tù với cáo buộc tung tin giả trong dịch COVID-19, RFA Vietnamese, June 23, 2022
Profile last updated: 2024-06-13 20:34:06