On 17/11, the Ministry of Public Security stated that its Security Investigation Agency had issued a decision to prosecute and an arrest warrant for temporary detention against Le Trung Khoa and Do Van Nga. This action is part of an investigation into the crime of making, storing, disseminating, and propagandizing information, documents, and items against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, as stipulated in Article 117 of the Penal Code. Division 1 of the Supreme People's Procuracy has approved the prosecution decision and the arrest warrants for the two defendants.

Initial investigations by the Security Agency found sufficient evidence that Khoa and Nga engaged in acts of making, storing, disseminating, and propagandizing information, documents, and items against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, Le Trung Khoa was born on 23/9/1971 in Thanh Hoa province. He holds Vietnamese nationality, is of Kinh ethnicity, and has a permanent residence at number 1, alley 81, Lang street, Dong Da ward, Ha Noi city.

Do Van Nga was born on 15/8/1977 in Gia Lai province. He holds Vietnamese nationality, is of Kinh ethnicity, and has a permanent residence in Tuy Phuoc Dong commune, Gia Lai province.

Le Trung Khoa, 54 years old, hails from Thanh Hoa province, however, he and his family settled in Germany in the early 1990s. Khoa often identified himself as a journalist and launched the website Thoibao.de around 2007. On Thoibao, his personal Facebook page with a verified badge and nearly 450,000 followers, and several other online platforms, Khoa frequently posted news on various topics concerning Vietnam.

Recently, Khoa was involved in a controversy when Vingroup and VinFast sued him in a Berlin court, Germany, over allegations of defamation and slander. An urgent hearing in the case took place on 4/11 at the Berlin court.

Le Trung Khoa. Photo: Facebook Le Trung Khoa

Article 117. Crime of making, storing, disseminating, or propagandizing information, documents, and items against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

1. Those who commit one of the following acts against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam shall be sentenced to imprisonment from five to 12 years:

a) Making, storing, disseminating, or propagandizing information, documents, and items with content that distorts or slanders the people's administration;

b) Making, storing, disseminating, or propagandizing information, documents, and items with fabricated content that causes public confusion;

c) Making, storing, disseminating, or propagandizing information, documents, and items that incite psychological warfare.

2. Committing the crime in exceptionally serious circumstances shall result in imprisonment from 10 to 20 years.

3. Those preparing to commit this crime shall be sentenced to imprisonment from one to five years.

Linh Dan