Vietnam Legislators Meet with Family of Prisoner Whose Execution Suspended

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A working team of the Standing Committee of Vietnam’s legislative body National Assembly (NA) led by Vice Chairwoman Le Thi Nga of the NA’s Judicial Committee has recently met with the family of death-sentenced Ho Duy Hai whose planned execution was suspended after he complained of unfair trial and torture.

By Vu Quoc Ngu | Dec 26, 2014

A working team of the Standing Committee of Vietnam’s legislative body National Assembly (NA) led by Vice Chairwoman Le Thi Nga of the NA’s Judicial Committee has recently met with the family of death-sentenced Ho Duy Hai whose planned execution was suspended after he complained of unfair trial and torture.

The mother of Hai, who was sentenced with the capital punishment seven years ago for killing two female post staffs in Long An province despite the lack of strong evidence against him, handed over the family’s petition asking for re-investigation and fair trial to the legislators.

In early December, President Truong Tan Sang agreed to suspend the execution of Hai which had been planned for Dec. 5 after receiving petitions from the prisoner’s family as well as thousands of other citizens who are concerned about Hai’s unfair trials and torture during police’s investigation.

The president also demanded the Supreme People’s Court and the People’s Supreme Procuracy to clarify whether there are justice miscarriages during investigation, prosecution and trials of Long An province-based Hai.

On Dec 9, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also asked the Supreme People’s Procuracy to review Hai’s case.

According to the Doi Song &PhapLuat newspaper of the Vietnam Lawyers Association, there were serious violations during the investigation of the local police and the trials, including using fake evidence against Hai.

In the one-party Vietnam, torture is systemic problem occurring in most of provinces and cities, according to a recent report of the Human Rights Watch.

Earlier this year, Nguyen Thanh Chan in the northern province of Bac Giang was released after ten years in prison on wrong accusation of killing one local. He demanded a compensation of VND10 billion ($500,000) for the wrong sentence and police torture after the real murder in the case confessed his crime.

Recently, Vietnam ratified the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment which is expected to halt police power abuse.