Facebook personality jailed for abusing democratic freedoms

Dang Nhu Quynh, 42, was found guilty of “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State, lawful rights and interests of organizations and/or citizens” by the Nam Tu Liem District People’s Court.

His behavior had caused public confusion, negatively impacted the financial and stock markets as well as the image and reputation of businesses and the economic interests of several investors, the court said.

At the court, Quynh admitted to his mistake, but said the punishment was “a bit too severe.” He said his posts were copied from a friend’s Facebook account and edited.

Since 2019, Quynh has used his personal Facebook account to post his own writings 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 sector 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, Quynh edited his posts to make readers believe that he had learned of the information beforehand.

He also posted information that the chairman of another corporation has also been placed under investigation. On April 6, Quynh made two posts about the chairman, along with his pictures, claiming he would be arrested.

The posts went viral, and for the next 6 days, the company’s stocks were sold in large numbers, making the company’s value plunge.

On April 12, certain investors accused Quynh of abusing democratic freedoms and infringing upon the interests of individuals and brands, causing losses to businesses and investors.

Quynh was arrested on April 15.

In March 2020, Quynh had been summoned by the police over the posting of more than 200 “unverified” and “false” articles on the Covid-19 pandemic.