RSF calls for release of journalist Pham Doan Trang on 5th anniversary of arrest
Reporters Without Borders and global NGOs have urged Vietnam to release Pham Doan Trang, who remains imprisoned under harsh conditions five years after her arrest for “anti-state propaganda.”
To mark the fifth anniversary of journalist Pham Doan Trang’s detention on 6 October 2025, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and an international coalition of non-governmental organisations issued a joint statement demanding her immediate release.
Trang, a renowned Vietnamese investigative journalist and founder of the online magazines Luat Khoa and The Vietnamese, has been incarcerated since her arrest in Ho Chi Minh City on 6 October 2020. Her imprisonment, rights groups say, is a direct result of her journalistic activities.
She was convicted in December 2021 of “anti-state propaganda” under Article 88 of Vietnam’s Penal Code—a broadly defined offence routinely used to criminalise dissent. Trang received a nine-year prison sentence after more than a year of incommunicado detention.
According to RSF, Trang’s imprisonment is emblematic of a wider campaign by Vietnamese authorities against freedom of expression and independent media. “Her prolonged detention and mistreatment over the past five years are unacceptable and demand urgent action,” said Aleksandra Bielakowska, Advocacy Manager at RSF’s Asia-Pacific Bureau.
Since her sentencing, Trang’s prison conditions have reportedly deteriorated. In October 2022, she was transferred to a remote detention centre nearly 1,000 miles from her family home in Hanoi. The move has severely limited visits, especially from her elderly mother, now aged 85.
Human rights groups also report that Trang suffers from ongoing medical issues, some of which stem from a 2015 police assault that left her with broken legs. Her access to medical treatment and basic rights in prison has been restricted.
Trang is a laureate of several international honours, including the 2019 RSF Prize for Impact and the 2022 U.S. State Department International Women of Courage Award. Her work has spanned investigative journalism, human rights advocacy, and legal education for the Vietnamese public.
Her final book before arrest exposed a police massacre near Hanoi and intensified government scrutiny. Alongside her journalism, she authored multiple books aimed at helping citizens understand their legal rights and Vietnam’s political system.
Between 2015 and 2020, Trang faced sustained repression, including at least 20 temporary detentions. In May 2016, she was held for 26 hours to prevent her from attending a meeting with then-U.S. President Barack Obama during his visit to Vietnam.
Trang’s arrest and conviction have drawn criticism from foreign governments, media watchdogs, and human rights advocates. RSF and other organisations maintain that her continued detention reflects Vietnam’s systematic suppression of free expression.
As of 2025, Vietnam ranks 173rd out of 180 countries in the RSF World Press Freedom Index. The country is among the top jailers of journalists globally, with at least 27 media professionals currently imprisoned.
The joint appeal by RSF and allied organisations urges the international community, including governments and multilateral bodies, to intensify diplomatic pressure on Vietnam. The coalition is also mobilising public support via a petition campaign calling for Trang’s unconditional release.
RSF’s statement concludes by reaffirming its solidarity with all Vietnamese journalists working under risk. “Pham Doan Trang represents a beacon of truth and resistance in an environment where the press is under siege,” said Bielakowska.
