Nguyen Minh Son

October 2023:

Nguyen Minh Son, 60, has chosen not to appeal his six-year sentence because he says he doesn’t believe in Vietnam’s court system. 

September 2023:

Facebook user Nguyen Minh Son was sentenced to six years in prison on September 29 for spreading “anti-state propaganda.” His wife reported to Project 88 that she was barred from attending the trial. According to state media, Son posted “one video clip” that allegedly insulted the leadership in order to propagandize against the government and the Party.

The original trial for Son was moved from Sept. 20 to Sept. 29, according to his family. Their lawyers only informed them verbally, rather than in written form, to avoid having paper evidence; this was allegedly done in an effort to avoid scrutiny of the authorities, as human rights lawyers, like those in the Bong Lai Temple case, have been recently targeted in the government’s crackdown.

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Facebooker Nguyen Minh Son, arrested on Sept. 28, 2022 and charged with “anti-state propaganda,” will finally be tried on Sept. 20, according to his family. Since his arrest, Son has not been able to see either a lawyer or his family. Attorney Ngo Anh Tuan has filed paperwork to represent Son at trial but has not been able to meet his client.

Son was a member of No-U Hanoi, a group that protests China's territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Profile photo: Nguyen Minh Son’s picture taken by the public security force. Source

From 2017-2018, Son participated in various peaceful protests, met with other protesters, and wrote commentaries on his Facebook page. It is not clear how many protests he attended. His Facebook page is no longer accessible, so we cannot trace his postings.

He is married.