Facebook user sentenced to two years in jail for abusing freedom, democracy rights

HANOI - A Facebook account owner in Hanoi was sentenced last Thursday to two years in prison for posting false information that affected businesses and harmed the stock market.

Dang Nhu Quynh, 42, was found guilty of "abusing the rights to freedom and democracy to violate interests of the State, rights and legitimate interests of organisations and individuals” under Article 331 of the Penal Code, by the People’s Court of Nam Tu Liem district, according to Vietnam news agency (VNA).

According to the indictment, since 2019, Quynh has used his personal Facebook account to post his own writings or share unverified information online. By April 2022, the account had over 300,000 followers.

On April 2, after learning that several business leaders in the finance and real estate sectors were arrested, Quynh posted that Do Anh Dung, chairman of property developer Tan Hoang Minh, has been dealt with by the law.

After authorities issued official announcements on the issue on April 5, Quynh edited his posts to make readers believe that he already knew that information, VNA reported.

He also posted information that Nguyen Van Tuan - Chairman of the Board of Directors cum General Director of Gelex Group JSC, who is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of Viglacera Corporation, has also been under investigation. On April 6, Quynh made two posts about the chairman, along with his pictures, claiming he will be arrested.

VNA reported that the posts went viral, and for the six subsequent days, the companies’ stocks were sold in large numbers, making their value plunge, causing panic among investors. - BERNAMA