The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court on April 17 sentenced Pham Nguyen Thanh Binh, a resident in the city, to three years in prison and another three years of probation on the charge of “conducting propaganda against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam”.

The sentence was pursuant to Article 88 of the 1999 Vietnam Penal Code.

According to the indictment, in early 2012, Binh, who was born in 1983 in northern Hai Phong city, became acquainted with Nguyen Xuan Chau, who heads a reactionary organisation in Australia , via the internet.

He agreed to write eight articles for Chau with contents distorting the Party’s leadership and the Government’s management and slandering Party and State leaders.

Chau then posted the articles on the internet with the aim of inciting the public to rise up against the State.

They also exchanged deviatory and false information about Vietnam ’s socio-economic situation.

During the investigation process, Binh showed a sincere and cooperative attitude and pledged to clemency.-VNA