Emergency arrest of Editor-in-Chief of Vietnam Environment and Urban Electronic Magazine Dong Xuan Thu

On the afternoon of September 24, Thai Binh Provincial Police announced that the Thai Binh Provincial Police Investigation Agency had issued an order to detain a person in an emergency situation, an emergency search warrant for the residence, workplace, and personal vehicle of Mr. Dong Xuan Thu (born in 1972, residing in Lang Ha ward, Dong Da district, Hanoi), Editor-in-Chief of the Vietnam Environment and Urban Electronic Magazine (address at the Office building C1 Thanh Cong, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi) to investigate the act of showing signs of the crime of extortion of property as prescribed in Article 170 of the 2015 Penal Code.

In this case, the Investigation Police Agency of Thai Binh Province Police also issued an order to detain people in emergency cases, an order to urgently search the residence, workplace, and personal vehicles of three officers and reporters of this electronic magazine, including Bui Van Toan (born in 1980, residing in Chuong Duong Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi City, Head of the Environmental Economics Department), Cao Thi Thu Huong (born in 1989, residing in Ta Thanh Oai Commune, Thanh Tri District, Hanoi City, magazine accountant), Nguyen Ngoc Tuyen (born in 1989, residing in Vu Chinh Commune, Thai Binh City, magazine reporter).

On September 24, the police agency issued an emergency detention order for Nguyen Tat Trien (born in 1978, residing in Tran Lam ward, Thai Binh city, magazine reporter) to investigate the crime of extortion according to Article 170 of the Penal Code.

The above orders have been approved by the People's Procuracy of Thai Binh province.

Vietnam Environment and Urban Electronic Magazine is a magazine under the Vietnam Environment - Urban and Industrial Zone Association.

Mr. Dong Xuan Thu has been in charge of this magazine since 2002, then was appointed Editor-in-Chief until now.