Political dissidents at the appeal hearing in HCM City on June 4-5, 2018
Defend the Defenders, June 6, 2018
On June 5, the Higher People’s Court in Ho Chi Minh City rejected the appeals of 15 political dissidents who were convicted on terrorism under Article 84 of the 1999 Penal Code by the People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City in their first-instance hearing on December 27 last year.
At the end of the two-day appeal hearing, the judge concluded that there were no new evidences which could lead to changes of their sentences so he decided to uphold the imprisonment terms of all the defendants.
Accordingly, the court upheld the sentence of 16 years in prison and five years under house arrest for Dang Hoang Thien, ten years in jail and three years of probation for Nguyen Duc Sinh, and sentences of between 18 months of probation and 12 years in prison for the remaining 13 defendants in the case.
According to the indictment, the group had made a petrol bomb and placed them within the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in a bid to attract public attention. However, local police foiled the plot to bomb the airport after passengers spotted boxes that were later found to consist of explosive devices.
Police also said the group had burned a packing square in the city, and destroyed hundreds of motorbikes confiscated from traffic violators.
However, families of defendants said the case is trumped-up and there had no bomb plot nor attack of a motor packing. The defendants claimed their innocences, witnesses said.
The defendants said they have not been members of the same group, and even they have not known each other personally.
There are no independent procuracy and justice systems in Vietnam so it is very difficult for clarifying the case. In addition, many activists have been imprisoned in trumped-up politically motivated cases, including Huynh Anh Tú and Huynh Anh Tri, Bui Thi Minh Hang and Nguyen Thuy Quynh, Can Thi Theu, Vu Van Hung and ten key members of the Brotherhood for Democracy who were arrested in 2015-2017 and charged with subversion.
Political dissidents with respective sentences in the case given by their first-instance hearing in late 2017:
| Number |
Name |
Prison sentence (years) |
House arrest (years) |
| 1 |
Mr. Dang Hoang Thien |
16 |
5 |
| 2 |
Mr. Thai Han Phong |
14 |
5 |
| 3 |
Ms. Nguyen Thi Chung |
12 |
5 |
| 4 |
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Tien |
11 |
3 |
| 5 |
Ms. Ngo Thuy Tuong Vi |
11 |
3 |
| 6 |
Mr. Nguyen Duc Sinh |
10 |
3 |
| 7 |
Mr. Vu Phong |
8 |
3 |
| 8 |
Mr. Bui Cong Thanh |
8 |
3 |
| 9 |
Mr. Doan Van The |
7 |
3 |
| 10 |
Mr. Tran Van No |
6 |
3 |
| 11 |
Mr. Hung Van Vuong |
6 |
3 |
| 12 |
Mr. Le Hung Cuong |
5 |
3 |
| 13 |
Tran Quoc Luong |
5 |
3 |
| 14 |
Mr. Truong Tan Phat |
5 |
3 |
| 15 |
Mr. Hoang Van Duong |
5 |
3 |
| 16 |
Ms. Le Thi Thu Phuong |
18 months of suspended sentence and 3 years of probation |
|
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June 6, 2018
Vietnam Court Upholds Prison Sentences for 15 Political Dissidents on Allegation of Terrorism
by Nhan Quyen • [Human Rights]
Political dissidents at the appeal hearing in HCM City on June 4-5, 2018
Defend the Defenders, June 6, 2018
On June 5, the Higher People’s Court in Ho Chi Minh City rejected the appeals of 15 political dissidents who were convicted on terrorism under Article 84 of the 1999 Penal Code by the People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City in their first-instance hearing on December 27 last year.
At the end of the two-day appeal hearing, the judge concluded that there were no new evidences which could lead to changes of their sentences so he decided to uphold the imprisonment terms of all the defendants.
Accordingly, the court upheld the sentence of 16 years in prison and five years under house arrest for Dang Hoang Thien, ten years in jail and three years of probation for Nguyen Duc Sinh, and sentences of between 18 months of probation and 12 years in prison for the remaining 13 defendants in the case.
According to the indictment, the group had made a petrol bomb and placed them within the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in a bid to attract public attention. However, local police foiled the plot to bomb the airport after passengers spotted boxes that were later found to consist of explosive devices.
Police also said the group had burned a packing square in the city, and destroyed hundreds of motorbikes confiscated from traffic violators.
However, families of defendants said the case is trumped-up and there had no bomb plot nor attack of a motor packing. The defendants claimed their innocences, witnesses said.
The defendants said they have not been members of the same group, and even they have not known each other personally.
There are no independent procuracy and justice systems in Vietnam so it is very difficult for clarifying the case. In addition, many activists have been imprisoned in trumped-up politically motivated cases, including Huynh Anh Tú and Huynh Anh Tri, Bui Thi Minh Hang and Nguyen Thuy Quynh, Can Thi Theu, Vu Van Hung and ten key members of the Brotherhood for Democracy who were arrested in 2015-2017 and charged with subversion.
Political dissidents with respective sentences in the case given by their first-instance hearing in late 2017: