BBC ‘deeply concerned’ for journalist’s wellbeing after Vietnamese police withhold their ID card and renewed passport
Vietnamese authorities have barred a BBC journalist from leaving the country and subjected them to days of interrogation, in a press freedom case that comes to light during a high-profile visit by Vietnam’s leader to the UK.
The journalist, a Vietnamese citizen who lives and works in Thailand, had returned to their home country in August to renew their passport, according a source with knowledge of the situation.
While their passport was reissued, it was held by police, who interrogated them over a number of days, asking questions about their journalism, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Friends of the journalist hope their case can be raised by British prime minister, Keir Starmer, who is hosting Vietnam’s leader, general secretary Tô Lâm, who arrived in the UK on Tuesday.
