Nguyen Minh Son

Immediate Concerns

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.

Background

Nguyen Minh Son's wife, Nguyen Thi Phuoc, shared details about a 2020 assault against Son after she visited him on March 25, 2025, at Nam Ha Prison in Ha Nam province. The assault left Son with severe facial injuries and led him on a quest for accountability in which he filed multiple petitions for a police investigation to no avail. 

Late in evening of November 6, 2020, Son reported he was walking home when an unknown assailant attacked him, repeatedly kicking him in the face and leaving him unconscious. When he awoke five hours later, he was taken to the emergency room, and a few days later, he had emergency facial reconstruction surgery. He reported the incident to the police, who told him they would not examine his injuries. Son pursued an official examination on his own. He also petitioned the Cau Giay district police to investigate the assault.

Despite submitting several applications, Son said the police never investigated the attack. Son began sharing information about the attack online and was later arrested under Article 117. He continued to submit petitions to investigate the 2020 attack from prison.

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

History of Activism

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

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 was no longer accessible after his arrest.

Family Situation

He is married.