Vietnam Legislators Demand Citizen Rights for Detainee, Arrested

NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung during debate on draft law Penal Procedure Code

NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung during debate on draft law Criminal Procedure Code

Vietnam’s police forces must respect citizen rights of the detainees and arrested individuals in criminal cases as they are yet to be convicted by courts, said members of the Standing Committee of the country’s legislative body National Assembly (NA).

by Vu Quoc Ngu, Aug 18, 2015

Vietnam’s police forces must respect citizen rights of the detainees and arrested individuals in criminal cases as they are yet to be convicted by courts, said members of the Standing Committee of the country’s legislative body National Assembly (NA).

During a debate on the draft law of Criminal Procedure Code in Hanoi on Aug 17, Chairman of the NA Council of Ethnic Affairs Ksor Phuoc said the detainees and arrested individuals should be allowed to meet with their relatives, receive basic items, and make phone calls and send letters.

NA’s Law Committee Chairman Phan Trung Ly said detainees and arrested people should not be fettered while Deputy Minister of Public Security Senior Lieutenant General Le Quy Vuong said fettering does not affect the citizenship of detainees and arrested.

In order to prevent tortures, detention facility should not be placed under the investigating agencies but other police units, legislators said. Many miscarriages of justice have been recorded recently due to police power abuse, lawmakers noted.

Other legislators said detainees and arrested people should not be held together with convicted individuals.

NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung concluded that the draft law should ensure citizenship of the detainees and arrested people since they are not convicted. They have rights to participate in elections, meet with their lawyers and get proper medical treatment.

Nguyen Hai Phong, deputy chief of the Vietnam Supreme People’s Procuracy proposes his agency to deal with denunciations against wrongdoings during detentions. So far, the Ministry of Public Security is responsible to settle the issue. His proposal met support from many other lawmakers.