Nguyen Huu Vinh
Current Status: Released - at risk
Other Names: Nguyễn Hữu Vinh, Anh Ba Sàm
Date of Birth: 1956
Gender: M
Ethnicity: Kinh
Last Known Prison: Prison No. 5, Thanh Hoa province
Areas of Activism:
- Democracy
- Press
Highlighted Human Rights Concerns:
- Former Political Prisoner
April 2019:
Political prisoner Nguyen Huu Vinh‘s family is concerned about him and his upcoming release from prison. Vinh and his family have experienced strange treatment in Prison No. 5 in Thanh Hoa province, including being warned not to bring any non-family members with posters and banners on the day of his release from prison.
Details - Background, History of Activism, Family Situation.
Nguyen Huu Vinh, also known as Anh Ba Sam, is a former police officer and private investigator.
Nguyen Huu Vinh started the blog Ba Sam in 2007, which featured content on a variety of social, economic, and political topics. Later, Vinh started other websites as well. Vinh eventually backed away from his direct role with Ba Sam, and the blog faced many concerted attacks over the years.
Vietnam bloggers: Nguyen Huu Vinh and Minh Thuy jailed, BBC News, March 23, 2016
Nguyen Huu Vinh & Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy, Vietnam, PEN America
The Committee to Protect Journalists' profile
Protests as Vietnamese blogger goes on trial for 'anti-government' posts, The Guardian, March 23, 2016
Defend the Defenders's archives
Arrested May 5, 2014. Sentenced to 5 years in prison under Art. 258 (1999 Code). Expected Release is May 5, 2019.
March 23, 2016
5 years in prison
May 5, 2019
On May 5, 2014, authorities detained Nguyen Huu Vinh and his assistant Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy on charges related to articles published on two of their more recently-established websites. They awaited trial for almost two years (the trial was originally set for January 19, 2016, but later rescheduled); on March 23, 2016, Vinh was sentenced to five years in a Hanoi court under Article 258 of the 1999 Criminal Code for "abusing democratic freedoms;" Thuy was sentenced to three. Both maintained their innocence at trial. Their sentences were upheld on appeal on September 22, 2016. Vinh remains in prison, while Thuy was released on May 5, 2017 after completing her sentence.
Vinh's wife reported health issues in late 2015; Vinh was suffering from symptoms possibly indicative of liver and blood diseases.
Vinh has been denied reading materials and his communications and family visits restricted while imprisoned.
March 2016:
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International demanded the charges be dropped leading up to Vinh and Thuy's trial.
September 2016:
Human Rights Watch called for the release of Vinh and Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy ahead of their appeal trial.
June 2017:
Two German members of Parliament attempted to meet with Vinh in prison, but their request was denied upon arriving at the prison.
Profile last updated: 2021-03-27 13:00:13