Nguyen Van Hai, 60, from the northern port city of Haiphong, was sentenced to 12 years in prison and a five-year probation after the jail term. Ta Phong Tan, 44, from the southern province of Bac Lieu, received a 10-year prison term and Phan Thanh Hai, 43, from Hanoi, received a four-year term of imprisonment, both with an additional three years of probation after release.

The jury ruled that the defendants’ offence is extremely serious, constant and causes negative impact on national security and the image of Vietnam in the international community.

At the court and the investigation agency, Phan Thanh Hai pleaded guilty and asked for clemency.

A representative of the HCM City People’s Procuracy said the defendants’ anti-State activities are closely organised with clear assignments and collusion with Vietnamese reactionary organisations in exile and hostile forces.

They took advantage of the right to freedom of speech and democracy to set up the blog “the freelance journalists club” for writing, disseminating and storing documents distorting the Party and State, sowing suspicions and eroding people’s trust in the administration.