HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam jailed a well-known political blogger and his assistant on Wednesday for abusing democratic freedom, their lawyer said, in a verdict that stirred public interest and a mix of concern and criticism from rights groups and the United States.
Blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh and assistant Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy were imprisoned for five and three years respectively for posts that a Hanoi court said were abuses of their freedom and infringements upon state interests. Both had denied any connection with the blogs.