A prominent Vietnamese blogger and his assistant went on trial in Hanoi Wednesday on charges of publishing articles critical of the government.
Nguyen Huu Vinh and Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy have been detained since their arrest in 2014. Prosecutors said a series of articles the 60-year-old Nguyen Huu Vinh posted on his blog presented distorted, one-sided view of the ruling Communist party that would affect the people's confidence in its leaders.
Vinh, also known as Anh Ba Sam, created the blog "Ba Sam" in 2007. The blog provided links to stories from state-run news outlets, as well as blog posts from activists.
Prosecutors are calling for jail terms of five to six years for Vinh, and between two to three years for Thuy.
Dozens of Vinh's supporters gathered outside the courthouse in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi to demand his release.
Human rights groups have criticized Vietnam for arbitrarily arresting bloggers and activists for peacefully expressing their views.
