A prominent dissident lawyer was detained on Thursday by Vietnamese police while dropping off his daughter at school, his brother said.
Le Quoc Quan, who blogs on a range of sensitive topics including civil rights, political pluralism and religious freedom, was taken away by police in Hanoi on Thursday morning, his brother Le Quoc Quyet said.
“Many police took him when he dropped his daughter off at school. They also searched his office and took documents, and searched his home also,” he said by telephone.
“He was arrested because of his political views,” Quyet said, adding that police had told the family he was to be charged under article 161, which covers tax evasion.
There was no immediate comment from Vietnamese authorities.
Allegations of tax dodging have previously been levelled at activists.
High-profile dissident blogger Nguyen Van Hai, alias Dieu Cay, was initially jailed for tax evasion but then sentenced in September to 12 years in jail for spreading anti-state propaganda.