(CNN) -- A pro-democracy activist released from a Vietnamese prison was on his way to his California home after nine months in detention, according to his family. Nguyen Quoc Quan, who holds a U.S. passport, was arrested April 17, 2012, at Ho Chi Min City's Tan Son Nhat International Airport. He was originally charged with terrorism and attempting to overthrow the government, but those charges were later reduced to subversion. His deportation Wednesday was a surprise, following the postponement of his trial last week. State media said that Nguyen, 58, of Elk Grove, California, admitted to taking part in illegal activities and was flown out Vietnam for humanitarian reasons.
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Vietnam deports U.S. activist
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Nguyen Quoc Quan was originally charged with terrorism
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Charges later reduced to subversion
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Nguyen did not admit to wrongdoing, wife says
This was not the first time Quan had been detained in @placeholder.