The US ambassador in Vietnam called on the Communist government today to release an activist who was sentenced to nine years in prison on what the envoy says are vague charges of propaganda against the state. Tran Thi Nga was convicted and sentenced in a one-day trial Tuesday on charges of producing videos that defamed the country's leadership. US Ambassador Ted Osius said "all people have the right to the fundamental freedoms of expression, association and of peaceful assembly." While Vietnam has made some progress on human rights, the trend of arrests, convictions and harsh sentences of peaceful activists is "deeply troubling," he said. The court also imposed five years of house arrest following Nga's prison term, her lawyer Ha Huy Son said.

Source: dna July 26, 2017 06:33 UTC