Jailed members of Brotherhood for Democracy, six of them will be tried on April 5-6
Defend the Defenders, April 4, 2018
The People’s Court of Hanoi has given verbal promise to allow the families of six pro-democracy activists to attend their first-instance hearing scheduled on April 5-6, Defend the Defenders has learned.
Accordingly, on the morning of April 4, the court agreed to allow the wives of prominent human rights attorney Nguyen Van Dai, Protestant pastor Nguyen Trung Ton, engineer Pham Van Troi, veteran journalist and Vice President of the Viet Labor Movement Truong Minh Duc, and lawyer Nguyen Bac Truyen, as well as the mother of Ms. Le Thu Ha to enter the courtroom where the court will hear their case.
The court’s move came after the wives went to the court on the afternoon of April 3 and the morning of April 4 to submit their request to observe the open trial in the courtroom where the six human rights activists will be tried for “carrying out attempts to overthrow the people’s administration” under Article 79 of the Penal Code.
However, the court denied to grant a written form of approval so it is still to wait whether the wives and the mother will be permitted to enter the courtroom.
Some foreign diplomatic corporations, including the EU Delegation in Vietnam, the Embassies of the US and Australia were allowed to send their representatives to observe the hearing. In many cases in the past, Vietnam denied to grant similar access to the court.
Two days ahead of the trial, the New York-based organization Human Rights Watch released its statementcalling on Vietnam’s communist government to drop all charges against the six democracy and human rights campaigners and release them immediately and unconditionally.
“The only crime that these activists have committed is to campaign tirelessly for democracy and defend victims of human rights abuses,” said Brad Adams, Asia director. “The Vietnamese government should thank them for their efforts to improve the country instead of arresting and putting them on trial.”
Some activists, including former prisoner of conscience Nguyen Xuan Nghia, who left the Brotherhood for Democracy after two months joining, was warned by local authorities not to go to the court areas to support the defendants.
In all political hearings in the past, along with filling in the courtroom with police, plainclothes agents and pro-government individuals and denying others to get access to the courtroom, Vietnam deployed huge numbers of police and militia to block all roads leading to the court areas and suppressed activists, not allowing them to gather near court areas to support the defendants. In many cases, police and plainclothes agents violently dispersed them, detaining, beating and robbing them before releasing them when the courts issued final decisions.
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April 4, 2018
Hanoi Court Verbally Promises to Allow Families of Six Pro-democracy Activists to Attend Their Trial Tomorrow
by Nhan Quyen • [Human Rights]
Jailed members of Brotherhood for Democracy, six of them will be tried on April 5-6
Defend the Defenders, April 4, 2018
The People’s Court of Hanoi has given verbal promise to allow the families of six pro-democracy activists to attend their first-instance hearing scheduled on April 5-6, Defend the Defenders has learned.
Accordingly, on the morning of April 4, the court agreed to allow the wives of prominent human rights attorney Nguyen Van Dai, Protestant pastor Nguyen Trung Ton, engineer Pham Van Troi, veteran journalist and Vice President of the Viet Labor Movement Truong Minh Duc, and lawyer Nguyen Bac Truyen, as well as the mother of Ms. Le Thu Ha to enter the courtroom where the court will hear their case.
The court’s move came after the wives went to the court on the afternoon of April 3 and the morning of April 4 to submit their request to observe the open trial in the courtroom where the six human rights activists will be tried for “carrying out attempts to overthrow the people’s administration” under Article 79 of the Penal Code.
However, the court denied to grant a written form of approval so it is still to wait whether the wives and the mother will be permitted to enter the courtroom.
Some foreign diplomatic corporations, including the EU Delegation in Vietnam, the Embassies of the US and Australia were allowed to send their representatives to observe the hearing. In many cases in the past, Vietnam denied to grant similar access to the court.
Two days ahead of the trial, the New York-based organization Human Rights Watch released its statementcalling on Vietnam’s communist government to drop all charges against the six democracy and human rights campaigners and release them immediately and unconditionally.
“The only crime that these activists have committed is to campaign tirelessly for democracy and defend victims of human rights abuses,” said Brad Adams, Asia director. “The Vietnamese government should thank them for their efforts to improve the country instead of arresting and putting them on trial.”
Some activists, including former prisoner of conscience Nguyen Xuan Nghia, who left the Brotherhood for Democracy after two months joining, was warned by local authorities not to go to the court areas to support the defendants.
In all political hearings in the past, along with filling in the courtroom with police, plainclothes agents and pro-government individuals and denying others to get access to the courtroom, Vietnam deployed huge numbers of police and militia to block all roads leading to the court areas and suppressed activists, not allowing them to gather near court areas to support the defendants. In many cases, police and plainclothes agents violently dispersed them, detaining, beating and robbing them before releasing them when the courts issued final decisions.