BBC journalist barred from leaving Vietnam and interrogated repeatedly

"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."

"After being approached for comment, the BBC confirmed that one of its journalists had been unable to leave Vietnam for several months as the authorities have withheld their ID card and their renewed passport. During this time our journalist was subject to multiple days of questioning by the authorities. The BBC journalist was in Vietnam for a routine passport renewal and to visit family, the media outlet said in a statement."

"Vietnam remains an extremely restrictive environment for journalists, who cannot operate freely in the one-party state, controlled by the country's Communist party. Domestic media is highly censored and dissenters are regularly jailed. In May, the print edition of the Economist, which featured To Lam on its cover, was banned in the country, part of a long series of acts of media censorship by authorities."

Vietnamese authorities have prevented a BBC journalist from leaving the country by withholding their renewed passport and ID. The journalist, a Vietnamese citizen who lives in Thailand, returned to Vietnam in August for routine passport renewal and to visit family. Police held the reissued passport and subjected the journalist to multiple days of questioning about their journalism. The BBC confirmed the journalist has been unable to leave for months and urged authorities to return documents so the journalist can resume work. The case occurred during a high-profile visit to the UK by Vietnam's leader and underscores widespread media censorship and repression in Vietnam.

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