Hanoi – Vietnamese authorities have arrested journalist Le Anh Hung, a former contributor to Voice of America (VOA), on charges of “propagandizing against the state,” escalating a crackdown on independent media and dissenting voices. The arrest, which occurred on March 9 in Dak Lak province, has drawn condemnation from international press freedom organizations who decry the ongoing suppression of journalism in Vietnam.
Hung, 52, is accused of violating Article 117 of the penal code, a broadly worded provision that criminalizes speech deemed critical of the government and carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, according to the state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper. This latest action against Hung comes less than two years after his release from a five-year sentence imposed in 2022 under a different anti-state provision.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for Hung’s immediate and unconditional release, stating that his continued detention represents a “gross affront to press freedom.” Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative, emphasized that Hung “never should have been imprisoned the first time,” and that the renewed charges are unacceptable.
A History of Repression
Le Anh Hung’s case exemplifies the challenges faced by independent journalists in Vietnam, where the media landscape is tightly controlled by the Communist Party. He was initially arrested in July 2018 and subsequently convicted in August 2022 under Article 331, which criminalizes the abuse of “democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State.” His trial was held without a defense lawyer, and his family was not informed of the verdict for over a week, according to reports from Radio Free Asia (RFA).
During his initial imprisonment, Hung was reportedly held in both prison and a psychiatric hospital, where he allegedly endured abusive treatment. RFA reported that Hung was beaten with a metal chair, tied to a bed, and forcibly injected with unspecified drugs by a nurse at a Hanoi mental hospital. While he was released in July 2023 after serving his five-year sentence, his freedom proved short-lived.
Hung is a member of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam (IJAV), a group that operates outside of state control and advocates for press freedom. Several other members of IJAV, including its founder Pham Chi Dung, have also been convicted and sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their journalistic perform.
Growing Concerns Over Press Freedom
Vietnam consistently ranks low in international press freedom indices. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked the country 173rd out of 180 countries and territories in its 2025 World Press Freedom Index, citing increasing restrictions on online speech under the influence of Communist Party chief To Lam. The government has intensified efforts to control online speech, and in December 2025, the editor and founder of a Germany-based Vietnamese-language news site, Le Trung Khoa, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for anti-state activities.
The recent arrest of Le Anh Hung coincides with broader efforts to tighten control over information gathering and sharing, as evidenced by amendments to Vietnam’s press law passed in December 2025. These amendments further restrict the ability of journalists to report freely and independently.
Vietnam is currently among the world’s worst jailers of journalists, with 17 journalists behind bars as of CPJ’s latest data.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security did not respond to CPJ’s request for comment regarding Hung’s arrest.
The situation remains fluid, and international observers are closely monitoring developments in Le Anh Hung’s case. Further legal proceedings and potential sentencing will likely signal the direction of press freedom in Vietnam in the coming months. The case underscores the ongoing risks faced by journalists and activists who dare to challenge the government’s narrative.
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