ALBAWABA - A noodle vendor in Vietnam was arrested and sentenced to five-and-a half years on Thursday in jail after mocking a top governmental official, police reported.
Court found Bui Tuan Lam, 39, guilty of anti-state propaganda in a one-day trial.
Lam became very famous in November 2021 after he mocked a top official after the later posted a video while eating gold-encrusted steak at the London restaurant of the Turkish chef "Salt Bae," whose real name is Nusret Gokce.
According to local media outlets, the Vietnamese noodle vendor was arrested late last year.
He was convicted of "making, storing, distributing, or disseminating information, documents, and items against the state", the Danang police department said.
Police further cited Lam's indictment as saying he had posted 19 articles and 25 videos on social media to "distort and smear the state."
Moreover, human rights advocates called for the release of the noodle vendor. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, also urged to halt "prosecuting Lam and others for criticizing the Vietnamese Communist Party."
