On February 6, 2018, Hoang Duc Binh was sentenced to 14 years in prison by a court in Dien Chau district, Nghe An province with two counts of "countering civil servants" and "taking advantage of civil liberties. The owner infringes on the interests of the State, the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and citizens "under Articles 257 and 258 of the Penal Code.
After the verdict was pronounced, the environmental group Green Tree Hanoi organized a protest against the verdict on its social networking sites.
Father Dang Huu Nam of Phu Yen parish of Vinh diocese spoke up about the verdict.
