3 Vietnamese bloggers charged over their writing

HANOI, Vietnam — Prosecutors in Vietnam have charged three well-know bloggers with spreading anti-government propaganda.

Lawyer Ha Huy Son said Monday that his client Nguyen Van Hai and two others, Phan Thanh Hai and Ta Phong Tan, have been charged. The state-run newspaper Ho Chi Minh City Law said the three are accused of posting 421 articles on their blogs that “distorted and opposed the State.”

It said Nguyen Van Hai and Phan Thanh Hai are also accused of attending a nonviolence training course aimed at overthrowing the government.

All three belong to the outlawed “Free Journalists Club.” All Vietnamese media outlets are under state control.

The three bloggers are in custody awaiting trial, where they face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.