Vietnam to prosecute journalist for anti-state activities

HANOI (Reuters) -Police in Vietnam are prosecuting a Berlin-based journalist and news website editor known for critical reports about the leaders of the Southeast Asian nation, accusing him of anti-state activities, authorities said.

Despite sweeping economic reform and increasing openness to social change, Vietnam's ruling Communist Party retains tight media censorship and tolerates little criticism, particularly in the run-up to its five-year congress, next set for January.

The journalist, Le Trung Khoa, 54, was accused of "making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the state," Vietnam's public security ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Authorities have approved the decision to prosecute Khoa and an order to arrest him, it added.

Khoa, editor in chief of the news site Thoibao.de, said on Tuesday the effort to prosecute him was a government "farce" and part of its strategy against the news site, which cannot be accessed from Vietnam and is not subject to its censorship.

The ministry said Khoa holds a Vietnamese passport. On his social media account, Khoa said he was also a German.

The German embassy in Hanoi did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

At the Communist Party's next congress from January 19 to 25, its leaders will set out their main strategies and policies.

(Reporting by Hanoi Newsroom; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

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