Vietnam Police Responsible for 226 Deaths of Detainees: Top Legislator

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According to the Ministry of Public Security, as many as 226 detainees died in the country between October 2011 and September 2014. The ministry said their deaths were caused by suicides or diseases while many believe that torture and coercion are the real factors.

By Vu Quoc Ngu |Apr 13, 2015

Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security will be responsible for 226 deaths of detained suspects in the past three years, said Nguyen Sinh Hung, chairman of Vietnam’s legislative body Nation Assembly (NA).

The Vietnamese parliament’s speaker made this statement during a meeting of the NA’s Standing Committee on legal miscarriage on April 10, state-run media reported.

The Vietnamese parliament has no tolerance to legal miscarriage, the top legislator said. However, he gave no solutions which may help prevent deaths of suspects in the future.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, as many as 226 detainees died in the country between October 2011 and September 2014. The ministry said their deaths were caused by suicides or diseases while many believe that torture and coercion are the real factors.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hien, chairman of the NA’s Legal Committee said police’s torture has caused deaths of detainees in police stations and detention facilities operated by the police forces, adding these cases have triggered public concerns.

Mr. Phan Trung Ly, chairman of the NA’s Law Committee said there are no strict measures to prevent police torture.

Last year, Minister of Public Security admitted that 19 police officers have been fired for torturing suspects between 2011 and 2013. During the same period, 183 others were disciplined for violating investigative procedures and regulations through dismissal, demotion or reassignment,

According to a report on legal miscarriage, there are 46 denouncements against police officers on torture. In some cases, a group of five-seven police investigators participated in torture and coercions.

In 2014, Vietnam ratified the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

However, crime suspects and other detainees for minor offenses continue to suffer in police stations and detentions facilities. So far this year, four Vietnamese were found dead during detentions. Autopsy showed that there were a number of injuries on their bodies.