Truong Huy San

February 2025:

Author Truong Huy San, penname Huy Duc, detained since June 2024, has been indicted under Article 331 for "abusing democratic freedoms." According to state media, Huy Duc is accused of "impinging on the interests of the state" based on 13 articles he posted on Facebook. The indictment states that Huy Duc told investigators he performed his own research and gathered information for his articles independently. No trial date has been set.

PEN America this week called for his release, saying: "When an author and journalist like Truong Huy San is silenced, it’s not just his voice that is stifled—it’s the right of an entire society to seek truth and accountability."

Read about the case in Vietnamese, here.

Background

A well-connected and respected writer, Huy Duc is famous for his book “The Winning Side” (2012), which reveals alleged secrets about the Communist Party and many of its high-ranking members with whom he had deep professional and personal relationships. One of San’s final online posts before his arrest was critical of Vietnam’s new President, former police minister To Lam.