Vietnam student in propaganda trial

A Vietnamese student accused of spreading "anti-state propaganda" on social media has faced court.

Phan Kim Khanh, 24, was charged in March over two blogs and two YouTube channels he allegedly ran.

One blog, entitled Corruption Newspaper, focused on graft in the state, while a YouTube channel entitled Democracy TV pushed an anti-communist message.

Khanh was also the president of a student group run by Defend the Defenders, a banned human rights advocacy group based in Vietnam.

He is also alleged to have been involved with the Viet Tan, a self-described political party in exile based in California.

Furthermore, police have accused Khanh of contacting Nguyen Van Hai, a former political prisoner currently living in the US.

Dozens of police tried to prevent people from gathering outside the court on Wednesday.

If convicted, Khanh faces up to 20 years in prison.

Vietnam, which is run by a single party communist state, bans dissent and the country has witnessed a heightened crackdown against dissidents in recent months.

At least thirteen dissidents have been arrested, charged or convicted of anti-state crimes since June.