Blogger arrested for "abusing democratic freedom" in Vietnam

A political blogger has been arrested in Vietnam for "abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the state," local media reported.

Truong Duy Nhat, 49, wrote a blog of political commentary and analysis. Many entries, which often attracted heated debate, were critical of the prime minister, president and chief of the communist party.

Nhat's popularity rose in 2011 when he announced his retirement from a state-run newspaper to concentrate on his blog. He was arrested Sunday at his home in Danang, Thanh Nien newspaper reported. Rights groups have criticized the one-party state for a crackdown on bloggers and activists.

Free-press advocacy group Reporters Without Borders this month called Vietnam "the world's second-biggest prison for netizens," with a total of 31 bloggers and citizen journalists currently jailed.