HANOI: Police in Vietnam said Thursday they had arrested prominent journalist and government critic Le Anh Hung (pic), days after reports spread on social media that he had become unreachable.
A former Voice of America contributor, Hung was accused of "making, hoarding, disseminating and spreading information, documents and materials against the state of Vietnam", Hanoi police said in a statement.
He was previously jailed for "abusing democratic freedoms", after spending three years against his will in a psychiatric facility and put on trial without his family's knowledge.
He was released in 2023 and told AFP in an interview that year he had been imprisoned because of accusations he made against top government officials.
The details of those accusations have not been made public, but Hung has been a vocal critic of internet censorship and strict cybersecurity laws, among other measures in the repressive one-party state.
According to Human Rights Watch, Vietnam held more than 160 political prisoners through the end of 2025 and had detained at least 40 others for criticising the government.
Police said Hung's case will be handled in accordance with the law.
In his 2023 interview with AFP, Hung said he still believes someday there will be a "Vietnam with freedom and democracy and human rights". - AFP
