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Reporters Without Borders said the release of cyber dissident Nguyen Vu Binh on June 9 under a presidential amnesty was a "great relief" but added it should not be forgotten that he was in prison for close to five years for what he wrote online.

"Vietnamese Cyber-Dissident Released"

"This news should not divert attention from the ongoing crackdown on Vietnamese dissidents, either," Reporters Without Borders said.

"Binh's release on the eve of a visit by President Nguyen Minh Triet was prompted more by a desire to create a good impression on the international community than any real intention to improve the human rights situation in Vietnam."

Binh was arrested on September 25, 2002, and was sentenced on December 31, 2003 to seven years in prison and three years of house arrest for posting what the government labeled "reactionary" articles on the Internet and communicating with "subversive dissidents."

President Triet will visit the U.S. on June 22. President Bush has expressed "deep concern" about the increase in arrests of pro-democracy activists in Vietnam and said those actions would limit the growth of bilateral relations.

Eight cyber-dissidents are still being held in Vietnam because of articles posted online.