Vietnamese woman arrested for anti-state propaganda

Pham Doan Trang, 42, a Hanoi resident, was arrested Tuesday night in HCMC’s District 3 and brought to the capital for further investigation, Major General To An Xo, spokesman of the Ministry of Public Security, said Wednesday.

Police in Hanoi have launched a criminal investigation against Trang for "conducting propaganda against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam" and "making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam."

During the raid and arrest, police seized documents and equipment relevant to the case, Xo said.

Trang is known as a blogger who had worked for several newspapers and had her writing printed abroad.

Under Vietnam's Penal Code, anti-government propaganda can be punished with up to 20 years in jail.