Vietnam to consider freeing journalist: Post

Washington, Mar 17: Vietnam has agreed to consider releasing an imprisoned journalist, after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice raised his case in a discussion on human rights, the Washington Post reported today.

It said Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem said in an interview with the Post that Vietnam would consider amnesty for the journalist, who has been held since 2002 and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Rice raised the case of Nguyen Vu Binh, 39, in the meeting on Thursday. He was arrested after posting articles on the Internet and accused of ''spying'' for passing information to overseas Vietnamese groups, the newspaper said.

Family members have said the journalist's health in prison has deteriorated. The Post quoted Kristin Jones of the Committee to Protect Journalists as saying Binh suffers from high blood pressure, liver disease and other ailments.

Reuters