A court in Vietnam has sentenced two songwriters to prison for posting songs online that are critical of the government.

Lawyer Tran Vu Hai says Vo Minh Tri, known as Viet Khang, and Tran Vu Anh Binh have been convicted of spreading propaganda against the state and have been sentenced to four and six years in prison respectively.

The two posted their songs on a website operated by an overseas Vietnamese opposition group.

They were sentenced after a five-hour trial on Tuesday in southern Ho Chi Minh City.

International rights groups have condemned the trial and called for their immediate release.

Their convictions come a month after three bloggers were sentenced up to 12 years behind bars on the same charges.

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