Nguyen Chi Tuyen, a well-known YouTuber and advocate who raised fears about property rights and environmental issues, was given a five-year prison sentence on Thursday, according to his solicitor Nguyen Ha Luan.
Tuyen, also known as Anh Chi, co-founded the football team No-U FC, whose people protested against China’s territorial states in the South China Sea, an area where Vietnam even has says. He was outspoken about different delicate social problems in Vietnam, such as environmental pollution, property disputes, and international issues, including the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. One of his YouTube programs, Anh Chi Rau Den, has amassed 1, 600 films and 98, 000 members.
Spectators point out that the Asian government has recently increased its assault on dissent. Prior to Tuyen’s trial, Human Rights Watch ( HRW) urged Vietnamese authorities to release him, with Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at HRW, stating,” Vietnam’s authorities have targeted Nguyen Chi Tuyen for expressing views they do n’t like”. She further demanded that the government put an end to the rigorous violation of basic rights, end its harsh penal laws, and end its imprisonment of peaceful critics.
Tuyen had formerly shared on social media that he had been subjected to officers abuse, physical attack, house arrest, and a ban on international travel. In April last month, he wrote on Twitter,” We did not fight, did not try to get things from anyone. We just acted in accordance with our conscience, speaking our feelings, voicing our desires and aspirations”.
Nguyen Vu Binh, a social activist who had formerly served nearly five years in prison in the early 2000s, was also detained on the same day as Tuyen’s imprisonment. Binh’s test date has not been set.
Since 2016, Asian police have detained at least 269 people in violation of their fundamental civil and political rights, according to HRW. Nguyen Lan Thang, a pal of Tuyen and a fellow player on the No-U FC group, was given a similar sentence in April of last year, receiving a similar sentence. Thang was a well-known independent journalist who covered human rights violations and demonstrations.
