Independent Journalist Le Dung Vova Released After Serving Five-Year Prison Sentence

 

VNHRN | 2026.07.01

Independent journalist Le Van Dung, widely known as Le Dung Vova, was released Tuesday after serving a five-year prison sentence for anti-state propaganda, reuniting with his family after years in custody.

Relatives, friends and supporters shared news of his release on social media shortly after he completed his sentence on June 30.

Born in Hanoi in 1970, Dung worked as a construction engineer before becoming an independent commentator and operating the online media channel CHTV. Beginning around 2017, he built a large online following through Facebook and YouTube, where he posted commentary on current affairs, environmental issues, land disputes and other social and political topics in Vietnam.

His online activities repeatedly drew the attention of Vietnamese authorities, who summoned him for questioning on multiple occasions.

In early 2021, Dung announced his intention to run as an independent candidate in Vietnam's National Assembly election. On May 28, 2021, Hanoi police issued a wanted notice for him as part of an investigation under Article 117 of the Penal Code, which criminalizes the creation, storage, distribution or dissemination of information deemed to oppose the state.

Authorities arrested Dung on June 30, 2021, in Phuong Tu Commune on the outskirts of Hanoi after he had spent more than a month evading arrest. Vietnamese media reported at the time that he had been staying at a relative's home.

The People's Court of Hanoi convicted Dung on March 23, 2022, and sentenced him to five years in prison followed by five years of probation. An appellate court later upheld the verdict.

In the same case, Nguyen Van Son received an 18-month suspended sentence after being convicted of concealing a crime for providing Dung with shelter while he was wanted by authorities.

Dung's imprisonment drew criticism from international human rights and press freedom organizations, which said he had been imprisoned for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression and repeatedly called for his release. Vietnamese authorities maintained that he had violated Article 117 of the Penal Code.

Photos of Dung reuniting with his family circulated widely on social media following his release, with many supporters welcoming his return and expressing hope that he would be able to resume a normal life.

Although Dung has completed his prison sentence, he remains subject to a five-year probation period imposed by the court. Under Vietnamese law, the probation period began immediately upon his release from prison.

 

 

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