[1] On 4 April 2011, Vũ was sentenced to 7 years in prison for "spreading anti-state propaganda", drawing protests from human rights groups, the Roman Catholic Church, and the international community.

In June 2009, he achieved national fame by filing a suit against Dung for granting a Chinese mining company rights to a bauxite deposit.

"[5] On 4 April 2011, Vũ was tried on an indictment accusing him of disseminating anti-state propaganda via the Internet, interviews with international media, and other writings.

[6] Democracy activists Phạm Hồng Sơn and Lê Quốc Quân were arrested attempting to observe the trial and charged with "causing public disorder".

Human Rights Watch described the trial as "one of the most important cases involving a political dissident in the recent history of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam".

[5] The organization stated that Vũ was being "tried for his political bravery in peacefully challenging abuses of power, defending victims of land confiscation, and protecting the environment ...

The government makes a mockery of its international human rights obligations when it persecutes activists like Dr. Vũ who try to use the legal system to demand official accountability and rule of law".

[11] Reporters Without Borders "deplored" the verdict, stating, "We call on the authorities to end their harassment of dissidents, and to begin respecting free speech and the right of each citizen to freely express an opinion.

[14] In 2012, Vũ was a finalist for the Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk, which ultimately went to Syrian blogger Razan Ghazzawi.