Defenders’ Weekly | Nov 01, 2015
************26/10/2015**********
Blogger Nguyen Lan Thang Remains Strong after Series of Attacks of Gov’t Supporters
Hanoi-based blogger Nguyen Lan Thang said his family stays determined to deal with harassments by government supporters who have perpetrated numerous acts of physical harassment and online attacks against him and his wife recently.
You can read details of the attacks here: /2015/10/23/vietnam-pro-govt-activists-attack-wife-of-well-known-blogger-in-hanoi-based-kindergarten/
The government-backed attackers have threatened to carry out other attacks against Thang whom they blame for spreading information which defame late President Ho Chi Minh, the founder of the communist regime.
However, blogger and photographer Thang said he just tries to provide uncensored, true information about “Uncle Ho”.
There is a big lie of the communist propaganda machinery about President Ho, who became communist legend for millions of Vietnamese, he said, adding he will accept risks for sharing the truth about the communist leader.
BBC: Nguyễn Lân Thắng: ‘tôi chấp nhận rủi ro’
—————–
Police Barbarically Beat Two Construction Workers in Vietnam’s Quang Binh Province
Two construction workers in Vietnam’s central province of Quang Binh have claimed that they were brutally beaten by police in Hong Hoa commune, Minh Hoa district during a police check of residence registration.
Tran Ba Ninh, 22, from Mai Hoa commune, Tuyen Hoa district said on October 25, he and Pham Van Tam, a worker from the Danang City-based Tran Minh Khoa Co. Ltd. went to Hong Hoa commune to inspect construction work of a project which aimed to build an antenna for telecom giant Vinaphone Group. When the duo stayed in a temporary tent of the project, local police came and demanded to see their residence registration.
Both workers said they had no registration for temporary stay in the commune, and policemen took their identification cards and driving licenses. They also requested the duo to go to the communal police station to settle the issue.
“At the police station, police interrogated us and beat us. They forced us to stand and turn our faces to a wall and then used their hands and knees to beat us at our bellies until we collapsed on the floor,” Ninh was quoted as saying by the Thanh Nien newspaper.
“We begged them for mercy but policemen continued to to beat us on our shoulders with batons, and ordered us to sign minutes they have already written,” Ninh said.
Policemen beat Ninh and Tam on their faces, bellies and shoulders until the victims agreed to sign the minutes. Ninh said he fell unconscious when police let the two workers go out.
Returning to his home in Quy Dat commune, Tam was taken to hospital by his relatives for treatment of numerous injuries on his body.
The newspaper said Tam was also seriously injured from the police torture.
Speaking with reporters of the Thanh Nien newspaper, a senior police officer in Minh Hoa district said the local police leadership sent staff to verify the case after receiving a denunciation from Ninh. The police from Hong Ha commune admitted that they had invited the two workers to their station for verifying their personal information but rejected the torture allegation, the police officer said.
According to the Hong Ha communal police, Ninh and Tam had been injured before meeting with local policemen, the senior officer said, adding he will provide full information on the case after thorough investigation.
Ninh is still under treatment in Minh Hoa district’s General Hospital, the newspaper added.
Police torture is rampant in Vietnam, including in communal police stations in which are working mostly untrained policemen.
During the past few years, dozens of Vietnamese have been brutally beaten by communal policemen for minor transgressions, and many of them died or were severely injured.
The Ministry of Public Security has proposed to empower communal police, allowing them to conduct preliminary investigation in criminal cases. Many legal experts and human rights defenders have expressed their concerns about rising police abuse at the communal level and the ministry’s proposal.
Vietnam ratified the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 2014, however, torture still occurs nationwide.
Tens of people have died or been severely injured in police stations nationwide so far this year, according to the state-run media.
About 260 Vietnamese detainees and inmates died in police stations and prisons in the 2011-2014 period, according to the Ministry of Public Security. The police said most of their deaths were caused by diseases and suicides, however, families of the victims believed that police torture is the main factor behind the deaths.
Few perpetrators have been punished for these crimes, human rights defenders noted.
Thanh niên: Công an xã bị tố đánh người tại trụ sở
************27/10/2015**********
Vietnam Police Officer Brutally Beats Worker Who Rejects Accusation of Stealing
A police officer in Vietnam’s southern province of Tay Ninh has reportedly tortured a local female worker after the victim rejected accusation of stealing a smart phone from a co-worker, the vtc.vn website reported on Monday.
Ms. Lai Thi Thu, 23, a worker of Kolltex Co. in Trang Bang Industrial Zone, said policeman Ly Hong Van used baton to severely beat her in a bid to force her to confess to stealing a cell phone, worth about VND11 million ($490), belonging toa female worker named L. on October 19.
Ms. Thu, who was hospitalized in order to treat the severe injuries on her head and two legs caused by the torture, said one day after Ms. L. complained the loss of the phone, police officer Van summoned her to the police station near the plant where the two womenwork. In a closed room in the police station, Van kicked Thu’s legs and belly and then ordered her to confess in writing to stealing.
The police officer left the room for while and came back with a baton, Ms. Thu said. Knowing that Thu rejected the accusation, Van used the baton to beat her on her head.
After five hours of interrogation in the afternoon of last Thursday, Thu was allowed to leave the police station. She informed the company’s leadership that she was tortured.
She was asked to go to the hospital for a health check-up while trade union representatives made a minute about the incident. The police in Trang Bang district were also came to investigate the case.
According to the video record kepted by the company, Thu is not involved in the stealing of the phone of L., a niece of policeman Van.
Thu said a representative of the local police came and gave money while policeman Van offered an apology to Thu, asking her to forgive him and not report to the authorities. However, she rejected and demanded for justice.
Speaking to a reporter of the vtc.vn website, Colonel Ly Hong Sinh, deputy head of Tay Ninh province’s Police Department admitted Van’s torture against Thu and pledged to thoroughly investigate the case before taking disciplinary measures against the perpetrator.
Van was suspended from his job for one month, Colonel Sinh said without whether the disciplined policeman will receive salary or not.
Police torture is systemic in the communist Vietnam, according to the New York-based Human Rights Watch. Numerous suspects and detainees have been tortured in police stations in many localities, causing severe injuries or even deaths.
According to the Ministry of Public Security, 226 detainees and inmates died in police stations and prisons in the 2011-2014 period. Most of the cases were caused by diseases and suicides, however, families of the victims said police torture is the main factor behind their deaths.
Vietnam’s top legislator Nguyen Sinh Hung said the police are responsible for the deaths of over 260 detainees in the past five years.
SBTN: Công an dùng dùi cui đánh đập nữ công nhân để điều tra
==========================
ICJ Urges Vietnam President to Stop Execution of Le Van Manh
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has sent a letter to President Truong Tan Sang to urge him to stop the planned execution of Le Van Manh and carry out an independent investigation on torture during detention as Manh claimed.
The organization, which consists of 60 of the world’s well-known judges and lawyers, said in its letter that Vietnam goes against the global trend towards thea abolition of capital punishment.
The ICJ said Vietnam has a duty to halt torture and other forms of ill treatments against detainees and prisoners after the country ratified the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
On October 25, High Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aids of Germany Christoph Strasser has urged Vietnam’s authorities to suspend the planned execution of Le Van Manh and re-investigate the case.
Earlier, many Vietnamese lawyers and human rights activists jointly petitioned President Sang and relevant agencies to halt the execution to avoid miscarriage of justice.
BBC: Thư quốc tế gửi Chủ tịch VN về tử tù Lê Văn Mạnh
==============================
Vietnam Halts Execution of Man Whose Sentence Based on Coerced Confession
Vietnam’s Supreme People’s Court has requested authorities in the central province of Thanh Hoa not to carry out theplanned execution of local resident Le Van Manh, 33, who was sentenced to death for the murder and rape of a local girl, said Deputy Chief Judge Nguyen Son.
The Supreme People’s Court has also demanded relevant agencies to review the case as well as petitions of Manh’s family, Mr. Son told the Vietnam News Agency.
The move came after thousands of local activists and the family of Manh have jointly petitioned for the suspension of the execution and resumption of investigation while the London-based Amnesty International sent its letter to President Truong Tan Sang to urge him to stop the implementation of the execution because Manh was unfairly tried.
According to Manh’s family and lawyers, the three hearing courts and four appeal courts imposed the highest punishment against him based not onsolid evidence but only on confession of the defendant, who claimed that he was coerced into making self-recriminating statements after being tortured by police investigation officers.
In appeals, Manh rejected the lawyers appointed by the authorities, however, the trials continued even when thedefendant was without legal assistance, lawyers said.
Miscarriages of justice are rampant in Vietnam where torture is systemic while the courts oftenrely on defendants’ confessions regardless whether the confessions are coerced or not.
In a number of cases, sentenced people were proven innocent in murder cases after the real killers voluntarily came to police to confess their crimes. In all cases, the sentenced individuals said they were forced to make statements against themselves after being tortured by police investigators.
A number of police officers have been suspended and sentenced for committing torture, however, the perpetrators have received only light sentences for their wrongdoings, according to local human rights defenders.
RFA: Lê Văn Mạnh được hoãn thi hành án tử hình?
Vietnam Postpones Execution of Man Who Says He Was Tortured Into Confession
===========================
Civil Rights Defenders-honored Blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh Condemns Illegal Detention
Nha Trang city-based blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, who was honored with Human Rights Defender of the Year by the Stockholm-based Civil Rights Defenders in April, has sent a letter to Khanh Hoa province’s police to demand them to explain why she was detained last Sunday.
On October 25, she was stopped by a group of police officers when she was on her way to Cam Ranh Airport where she will take a flight to Ho Chi Minh City. The police officers took her to a police station in Phuoc Dong commune where she was held until late evening.
Quynh said during detention, police officers attacked her in a bid to take her cell phone.
She also demanded for financial compensation for the losses due to the illegal detention.
This is the 5th detention of Quynh by the local police since the beginning of 2014, she noted.
She said she will hold public demonstration to protest illegal detention and confiscation of personal items conducted by the local police.
FB: Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh – Yêu cầu làm rõ việc bắt giữ, câu lưu người trái phép
*******************28/10/2015***************
Many Vietnam Legislators, Experts Skeptical About Recording during Interrogation
A number of Vietnamese legislators and legal experts have expressed their doubt on implementation of video and audio recording during interrogation which is required in a draft amendment to the Criminal Procedure Code, saying the requirements are costly and impractical.
Ho Chi Minh City-based lawmaker Do Van Duong, who is also a member of the parliament’s Committee for Judicial Affairs, said video and audio recording is a waste of money. Miscarriages of justice cases are only small portion of total criminal cases, he said.
About 60% of defendants have been caught red handed and there is no need for recording during interrogation, he said. He wonders who will be responsible for recording while investigation officers are not willing to do it.
Dong Nai province-based legislator Ho Van Nam said the requirement for audio and video recording during interrogation aims to prevent torture and coerced confession, however, the move requires huge spending on equipping police units with taping equipments.
The recording may be useless if investigators torture suspects to extract coerced confession and make formal record later, he warned.
Many senior police officers object to the amendment which is expected to ensure human rights of detainees during police interrogation.
Legislator Nguyen Duc Chung, head of the Hanoi Police Department, said recording is a complicated task and the country has no adequate infrastructure for its implementation.
Vietnam is holding about 100,000 detainees and criminal suspects, he said, adding the country would need to spend huge financial resources on recording interrogations in all cases, said Major General Chung said. He proposed implementing such recording in special cases only.
Legislator Bui Mau Quan, deputy head of the General Department of Security II under the Ministry of Public Security said if interrogators intend to torture, they will not record the questioning.
Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuy Thiep from the National Political Academy also said the recording during interrogation is very costly, given the country is holding 160,000 detainees on 100,000 criminal cases.
The country may have to spend tens of trillion of dong on building infrastructure for audio and video recording in police facilities, she said. In addition, huge investments are needed for preservation of video and audio files, she noted.
In order to ensure equality for all people, Vietnam needs to equip record machineries in all police facilities for interrogation, including in remote areas, which is impossible, she said.
Lawyer Truong Anh Tu said recording cannot effectively deal with torture and police abuse while lawyer Tran Van Duc said the requirement is very important but difficult to implement.
Criminal cases are on the rise in Vietnam. Last year, police probed 73,606 cases with 110,924 suspects.
Recently, many defendants have complained that they were tortured into making confession. A number of them were imprisoned for many years before being proven innocent, according to state media.
The Criminal Procedure Code amendments, prepared by the Ministry of Justice, are being debated by the country’s legislative body National Assembly in its ongoing second session for 2015.
Vietnam ratified the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 2014, however, torture still occurs nationwide.
Vu Quoc Ngu: Many Vietnam Legislators, Experts Skeptical About Recording during Interrogation
***********29/10/2015***********
U.S. Congress Hearing: Vietnam Proposed to Be Listed in CPC
At a hearing of the U.S. Congress with participation of the highest ranking official of the Department of State on international religious freedom on October 27, Vietnam’s suppression against religious group was among the top topics.
During the hearing, Rabbi David Saperstein, the State Department’s ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom admitted that Vietnam has beaten, suppressed and halted meetings of independent religious groups.
Congressman Christopher Smith, who chaired the hearing, questioned measures of President Obama’s government to ensure Vietnam respect its commitments on human rights as it has pledged in negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.
Ambassador Saperstein said he held consultations with many Vietnamese religious clerks and supported their stance on the draft law on freedom of religions and beliefs which is debated in the ongoing session of Vietnam’s parliament.
The country has no religious freedom when the government wants to control all activities, including promotion and assigning of religious clerks, he said.
Vietnam’s freedom of religions has seen no progress in recent years, he said.
Mạch sống: Điều trần tại Quốc Hội Hoa Kỳ: Việt Nam được đề nghị vào danh sách CPC
*******************30/10/2015***********************
Vietnam Remains One of World’s Largest Prisons for Bloggers: Freedom House
Vietnam continues to be one of the worst jailers of bloggers in the world, with 29 netizens being imprisoned, said the U.S.-based non-governmental Freedom House in its report for the period between June 2014 and May 2015.
According to its newly-released report, Freedom House said at least eight Vietnamese bloggers were arrested or prosecuted under Article 258 of the country’s Penal Code for abusing democratic freedom to infringe on state interests.
Among those arrested and prosecuted are prominent blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh and his assistant Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy for their news website AnhBaSam, Mr. Kim Quoc Hoa, former editor of the mainstream print and online newspaper Nguoi Cao Tuoi.
The Vietnamese government’s Circular 9 tightened registration and licensing requirements for new social media sites, as well as intermediary liability for third-party content, Freedom House said.
The government has widely implemented its Decree 174 to punish online speech, the Washington-based organization noted. The decree, effective from January 2014, introduced administrative fines of VND100 million ($4,480) for anyone who “criticizes the government, the communist party or national heroes” or “spreads propaganda and reactionary ideology against the state” on social media
Vietnamese activists both in and outside of the country, have long been the target of sophisticated cyber attacks. The malicious software used in the attacks is advanced enough to evade detection by almost all commercial antivirus programs, and sent from servers in locations worldwide.
In 2015, cyber attacks in Vietnam became more personalized, indicating that attackers are familiar with the activities and interests of their targets.
Freedom House: Vietnam Remains One of World’s Largest Prisons for Bloggers
———————————-
Gov’t-backed Thugs Attack Hanoi Activists When They Celebrate 4th Anniversary of No-U Football Club
Thugs backed by Hanoi police attacked Vietnamese activists in Hanoi on Friday evening when the latter celebrated the 4th anniversary of No-U football club, a soccer team of patriotic activists in the capital city.
More than one hundreds of members of No-U FC and activists gathered on October 30 in a restaurant in Dong Da district to mark the establishment of the soccer team made up of Vietnamese people who oppose China’s illegal U-shaped line in the East Sea.
Dozens of uniformed policemen and plainclothes agents stationed outside of the restaurant. Activists recognized some security agents who donned waiters’ uniform to serve food for them at the restaurant.
After about half an hour, police ordered the restaurant owner to cut off electricity, forcing celebrators to use candles and their cell phones to light the room.
Few minutes later, police ordered the restaurant owner, managers and most of the staff to leave the restaurant. Later, a group of four to five thugs entered the restaurant, went to the party and used helmet and whatever they found to attack activists.
They broke glasses, empty bottles and dishes and threw them at the activists, causing light injuries to blogger Le Dung and one girl before leaving.
They continued to shout loudly outside of the restaurant and threatened to attack again.
Policemen stayed outside of the restaurant to watch although some victims called for help. Blogger Le Dung dialed the number of the police in Nga Tu So ward to report the incident, however, he received no response.
The restaurant owner disappeared and police did not come, so activists left the place after paying the bill. No minute about the incident with losses caused by thugs was made.
Earlier in the same evening, blogger Doan Trang was detained by Hanoi police when she was on her way to the party. She was released at 9.15 PM after the party ended.
In the afternoon of October 30, Hanoi-based blogger Trinh Anh Tuan was beaten by a group of thugs who did not allow him to go out to participate in an environmental workshop in the city. Tuan, a local pro-democracy activist and environmentalist, recognized some security agents among the thugs.
Earlier this year, Tuan was brutally attacked by government-backed thugs.
No-U FC was established in 2011 after series of anti-China demonstrations in Hanoi to protest Beijing’s violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty in the East Sea. The team plays every Sunday’s afternoon and many patriotic activists come to support players.
Since being established four years ago, No-U FC has been continuously harassed by the Hanoi police which have requested football fields owners not to allow the team to rent playing fields. The team has to move from one place to another due to local police intervention.
The Hanoi police have also sent agents to monitor all meetings of No-U FC.
The communist government in Hanoi has intensified crackdown against local dissidents and human rights activists one week ahead of the upcoming visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Vietnam, and the upcoming municipal communist party congress in the capital city.
Many members of No-U FC have joined other activists to sign a petition calling on Vietnam to cancel the visit of the Chinese leader set for November 5-6.
The communists in Hanoi will hold their congress tomorrow to select the local leadership for the next five years.
Vietnamese communists have ruled the country for decades. They have vowed to keep the country under a one-party regime, and have not tolerated criticisms and opposition.
SBTN: Côn đồ hành hung đập phá buổi sinh nhật nhóm No-U Hà Nội
SINH NHẬT LẦN 4 CỦA NO U FC BỊ KHỦNG BỐ DỮ DỘI
Gov’t-backed Thugs Attack Hanoi Activists When They Celebrate 4th Anniversary of No-U Football Club
————————-
Appeal Court Upholds 4-year Imprisonment for Ha Nam Province-based Land Petitioner
On October 29, the People’s Court in the northern province of Ha Nam rejected the appeal of land petitioner Nguyen Van Thien from Liem Can commune, Thanh Liem district, finding him guilty on charges of causing public disorders.
The court upheld his four-year jail sentence.
Land petitioners nationwide went to Ha Nam to attend the open trial, however, police forces blocked all points of access to the courtroom.
At the first hearing, the local police kidnapped Thien’s mother when she was on her way to attend the hearing. Police in Ha Nam held the 82-year-old mother in a hospital without knowledge of her relatives until she died from unknown reason.
SBTN: Toà phúc thẩm y án dân oan Nguyễn Văn Thiện 4 năm tù giam
===========================
Pro-democracy Activist Escapes to Thailand to Avoid Suppression
Pro-democracy activist Duong Van Nam has escaped to Thailand from Luc Ngan district, Bac Giang province where he had been under continuous suppression of the local authorities.
He will seek political asylum in Thailand, according to Radio Free Asia.
Nam said he had been under attacks of criminals while the local authorities took no actions to protect him.
RFA: Thêm một người lên tiếng cho dân chủ phải trốn sang Thái Lan
******************31/10/2015******************
Blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh Likely Poisoned in Detention: Senior Expert
Blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh, the founder of news website AnhBaSam, is likely being poisoned by communist authorities, said lawyer Tran Van Tao, who is former police chief in Ho Chi Minh City.
Mr. Tao, who spent eight years in prison during the Saigon regime, made this comment after he met with the prominent blogger in the Hanoi-based B14 detention facility on October 30. Mr. Vinh, who is a former security officer, has been kept there since being arrested on May 5 last year.
Mr. Tao, who had rich experience in prison, said Mr. Vinh has numerous acnes on the skin on his back, arms and legs. These are not scabies which may be caused by unhygienic conditions or lack of exposure to sunlight, but skin diseases caused by poisoning, said the lawyer
Vinh, who is also human rights activist, is held in a place without sunlight, the lawyer recognized.
Lawyer Le Thi Minh Ha, the wife of the blogger, said police has rejected her proposal to send medicines to her husband, including functional food products. She said his health has worsened very fast after 18 months under detention.
Poisoning political prisoners is not rare in communist Vietnam. Former political prisoner Vu Thu Hien, who lives in exile in Paris, said during his imprisonment in the Hanoi-based Hoa Lo Prison, he refused to eat meat for a long time because he suspected that the food was tainted with toxic chemicals.
Chemical teacher Dinh Dang Dinh, who was released on March 21, 2014, passed away two weeks later. After his release from prison, he said the prison’s authorities poisoned him by providing food contaminated with toxic substances.
Health conditions of many Vietnamese political dissidents have worsened after leaving prison, where they had suffered from torture, harassments, poor-quality food and bad hygiene and lack of proper healthcare.
Meanwhile, the U.S.-based non-governmental Freedom House in its report for the period between June 2014 and May 2015, has labeled Vietnam one of the worst jailers of bloggers in the world, with 29 netizens being imprisoned.
Freedom House said at least eight Vietnamese bloggers were arrested or prosecuted under Article 258 of the country’s Penal Code for abusing democratic freedom to infringe on state interests.
Among those arrested and prosecuted are prominent blogger Vinh and his assistant Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy for their news website AnhBaSam, Mr. Kinh Quoc Hoa, former editor of the mainstream print and online newspaper Nguoi Cao Tuoi.
The Vietnamese government’s Circular 9 tightened registration and licensing requirements for new social media sites, as well as intermediary liability for third-party content, Freedom House said.
The government has widely implemented its Decree 174 to punish online speech, the Washington-based organization noted. The decree, effective from January 2014, introduced administrative fines of VND100 million ($4,480) for anyone who “criticizes the government, the communist party or national heroes” or “spreads propaganda and reactionary ideology against the state” on social media
Vietnamese activists both in and outside of the country have long been the target of sophisticated cyber attacks. The malicious software used in the attacks is advanced enough to evade detection by almost all commercial antivirus programs, and sent from servers in locations worldwide.
In 2015, cyber attacks in Vietnam became more personalized, indicating that attackers are familiar with the activities and interests of their targets.
Vu Quoc Ngu: Blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh Likely Poisoned in Detention: Senior Expert
*************1/11/2015************
Human Rights Activist Tran Thi Nga Condemns Illegal Detention, Humiliation
Tran Thi Nga, one of key figures of the independent Vietnam Women for Human Rights, has sent a letter to the prime minister, the minister of public security and other relevant agencies to protest her illegal detention and humiliation on Monday.
On October 26, she accompanied Mrs. Nguyen Thi Viet, the mother of sentenced-to-death Le Van Manh, to the Supreme People’s Court in Hanoi to fill petition calling for suspension of the planned execution of Manh who claims that he was tortured and forced to make a confession during pre-trial detention.
At the public room of the Supreme People’s Court, Nga was arrested by police from Ha Nam where she resides. Police officers took her into a car and drove her back to her home town where she was questioned and searched by security officers.
Nga is among the most active human rights defenders calling for halting the planned execution of Manh and re-investigating the murder case in which he was accused of raping and killing a 14-year-old girl in the central province of Thanh Hoa.
Under international and domestic pressure, Vietnam’s authorities decided to suspend Manh’s execution and re-start investigation of the case
Dân luận: Trần Thị Nga – Đơn tố cáo công an có hành vi bắt giữ người trái pháp luật và làm nhục người khác
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November 2, 2015
Vietnam Human Rights Defenders’ Weekly Oct 26- Nov 01: Gov’t-backed Thugs Attack Hanoi-based Activists When They Celebrate 4th Anniversary of No-U FC
by Nhan Quyen • [Human Rights], DEFENDER’S WEEKLY
Defenders’ Weekly | Nov 01, 2015
On October 30, Hanoi-based activists gather in a local restaurant to mark the 4th anniversary of the founding of No-U Football Club, a soccer team of people who oppose China’s illegal U-shaped-line claim in the East Sea. The party was stopped when thugs, backed by the Hanoi police, attacked the activists.
Vietnam continues to be one of the worst jailers of bloggers in the world, with 29 netizens imprisoned, said the U.S.-based non-governmental Freedom House in its report for the period between June 2014 and May 2015. At least eight Vietnamese bloggers were arrested or prosecuted under Article 258 of the country’s Penal Code for abusing democratic freedom to infringe on state interests, Freedom House said in its recent report.
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has sent a letter to President Truong Tan Sang to urge him to stop the planned execution of Le Van Manh and carry out an independent investigation on torture during detention as Manh claimed.
After visiting blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh, the founder of news website AnhBaSam in police detention, lawyer Tran Van Tao suspected that his client is poisoned by toxic chemicals. Tao, who was a police chief in Ho Chi Minh City and spent eight years in prison during the Saigon regime said the blogger has numerous acnes on his body.
A female worker in Tay Ninh was brutally tortured by a local police officer who tried to force her to make a confession in a theft case.
And other important news.
************26/10/2015**********
Blogger Nguyen Lan Thang Remains Strong after Series of Attacks of Gov’t Supporters
Hanoi-based blogger Nguyen Lan Thang said his family stays determined to deal with harassments by government supporters who have perpetrated numerous acts of physical harassment and online attacks against him and his wife recently.
You can read details of the attacks here: /2015/10/23/vietnam-pro-govt-activists-attack-wife-of-well-known-blogger-in-hanoi-based-kindergarten/
The government-backed attackers have threatened to carry out other attacks against Thang whom they blame for spreading information which defame late President Ho Chi Minh, the founder of the communist regime.
However, blogger and photographer Thang said he just tries to provide uncensored, true information about “Uncle Ho”.
There is a big lie of the communist propaganda machinery about President Ho, who became communist legend for millions of Vietnamese, he said, adding he will accept risks for sharing the truth about the communist leader.
BBC: Nguyễn Lân Thắng: ‘tôi chấp nhận rủi ro’
—————–
Police Barbarically Beat Two Construction Workers in Vietnam’s Quang Binh Province
Two construction workers in Vietnam’s central province of Quang Binh have claimed that they were brutally beaten by police in Hong Hoa commune, Minh Hoa district during a police check of residence registration.
Tran Ba Ninh, 22, from Mai Hoa commune, Tuyen Hoa district said on October 25, he and Pham Van Tam, a worker from the Danang City-based Tran Minh Khoa Co. Ltd. went to Hong Hoa commune to inspect construction work of a project which aimed to build an antenna for telecom giant Vinaphone Group. When the duo stayed in a temporary tent of the project, local police came and demanded to see their residence registration.
Both workers said they had no registration for temporary stay in the commune, and policemen took their identification cards and driving licenses. They also requested the duo to go to the communal police station to settle the issue.
“At the police station, police interrogated us and beat us. They forced us to stand and turn our faces to a wall and then used their hands and knees to beat us at our bellies until we collapsed on the floor,” Ninh was quoted as saying by the Thanh Nien newspaper.
“We begged them for mercy but policemen continued to to beat us on our shoulders with batons, and ordered us to sign minutes they have already written,” Ninh said.
Policemen beat Ninh and Tam on their faces, bellies and shoulders until the victims agreed to sign the minutes. Ninh said he fell unconscious when police let the two workers go out.
Returning to his home in Quy Dat commune, Tam was taken to hospital by his relatives for treatment of numerous injuries on his body.
The newspaper said Tam was also seriously injured from the police torture.
Speaking with reporters of the Thanh Nien newspaper, a senior police officer in Minh Hoa district said the local police leadership sent staff to verify the case after receiving a denunciation from Ninh. The police from Hong Ha commune admitted that they had invited the two workers to their station for verifying their personal information but rejected the torture allegation, the police officer said.
According to the Hong Ha communal police, Ninh and Tam had been injured before meeting with local policemen, the senior officer said, adding he will provide full information on the case after thorough investigation.
Ninh is still under treatment in Minh Hoa district’s General Hospital, the newspaper added.
Police torture is rampant in Vietnam, including in communal police stations in which are working mostly untrained policemen.
During the past few years, dozens of Vietnamese have been brutally beaten by communal policemen for minor transgressions, and many of them died or were severely injured.
The Ministry of Public Security has proposed to empower communal police, allowing them to conduct preliminary investigation in criminal cases. Many legal experts and human rights defenders have expressed their concerns about rising police abuse at the communal level and the ministry’s proposal.
Vietnam ratified the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 2014, however, torture still occurs nationwide.
Tens of people have died or been severely injured in police stations nationwide so far this year, according to the state-run media.
About 260 Vietnamese detainees and inmates died in police stations and prisons in the 2011-2014 period, according to the Ministry of Public Security. The police said most of their deaths were caused by diseases and suicides, however, families of the victims believed that police torture is the main factor behind the deaths.
Few perpetrators have been punished for these crimes, human rights defenders noted.
Thanh niên: Công an xã bị tố đánh người tại trụ sở
************27/10/2015**********
Vietnam Police Officer Brutally Beats Worker Who Rejects Accusation of Stealing
A police officer in Vietnam’s southern province of Tay Ninh has reportedly tortured a local female worker after the victim rejected accusation of stealing a smart phone from a co-worker, the vtc.vn website reported on Monday.
Ms. Lai Thi Thu, 23, a worker of Kolltex Co. in Trang Bang Industrial Zone, said policeman Ly Hong Van used baton to severely beat her in a bid to force her to confess to stealing a cell phone, worth about VND11 million ($490), belonging toa female worker named L. on October 19.
Ms. Thu, who was hospitalized in order to treat the severe injuries on her head and two legs caused by the torture, said one day after Ms. L. complained the loss of the phone, police officer Van summoned her to the police station near the plant where the two womenwork. In a closed room in the police station, Van kicked Thu’s legs and belly and then ordered her to confess in writing to stealing.
The police officer left the room for while and came back with a baton, Ms. Thu said. Knowing that Thu rejected the accusation, Van used the baton to beat her on her head.
After five hours of interrogation in the afternoon of last Thursday, Thu was allowed to leave the police station. She informed the company’s leadership that she was tortured.
She was asked to go to the hospital for a health check-up while trade union representatives made a minute about the incident. The police in Trang Bang district were also came to investigate the case.
According to the video record kepted by the company, Thu is not involved in the stealing of the phone of L., a niece of policeman Van.
Thu said a representative of the local police came and gave money while policeman Van offered an apology to Thu, asking her to forgive him and not report to the authorities. However, she rejected and demanded for justice.
Speaking to a reporter of the vtc.vn website, Colonel Ly Hong Sinh, deputy head of Tay Ninh province’s Police Department admitted Van’s torture against Thu and pledged to thoroughly investigate the case before taking disciplinary measures against the perpetrator.
Van was suspended from his job for one month, Colonel Sinh said without whether the disciplined policeman will receive salary or not.
Police torture is systemic in the communist Vietnam, according to the New York-based Human Rights Watch. Numerous suspects and detainees have been tortured in police stations in many localities, causing severe injuries or even deaths.
According to the Ministry of Public Security, 226 detainees and inmates died in police stations and prisons in the 2011-2014 period. Most of the cases were caused by diseases and suicides, however, families of the victims said police torture is the main factor behind their deaths.
Vietnam’s top legislator Nguyen Sinh Hung said the police are responsible for the deaths of over 260 detainees in the past five years.
SBTN: Công an dùng dùi cui đánh đập nữ công nhân để điều tra
==========================
ICJ Urges Vietnam President to Stop Execution of Le Van Manh
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has sent a letter to President Truong Tan Sang to urge him to stop the planned execution of Le Van Manh and carry out an independent investigation on torture during detention as Manh claimed.
The organization, which consists of 60 of the world’s well-known judges and lawyers, said in its letter that Vietnam goes against the global trend towards thea abolition of capital punishment.
The ICJ said Vietnam has a duty to halt torture and other forms of ill treatments against detainees and prisoners after the country ratified the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
On October 25, High Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aids of Germany Christoph Strasser has urged Vietnam’s authorities to suspend the planned execution of Le Van Manh and re-investigate the case.
Earlier, many Vietnamese lawyers and human rights activists jointly petitioned President Sang and relevant agencies to halt the execution to avoid miscarriage of justice.
BBC: Thư quốc tế gửi Chủ tịch VN về tử tù Lê Văn Mạnh
==============================
Vietnam Halts Execution of Man Whose Sentence Based on Coerced Confession
Vietnam’s Supreme People’s Court has requested authorities in the central province of Thanh Hoa not to carry out theplanned execution of local resident Le Van Manh, 33, who was sentenced to death for the murder and rape of a local girl, said Deputy Chief Judge Nguyen Son.
The Supreme People’s Court has also demanded relevant agencies to review the case as well as petitions of Manh’s family, Mr. Son told the Vietnam News Agency.
The move came after thousands of local activists and the family of Manh have jointly petitioned for the suspension of the execution and resumption of investigation while the London-based Amnesty International sent its letter to President Truong Tan Sang to urge him to stop the implementation of the execution because Manh was unfairly tried.
According to Manh’s family and lawyers, the three hearing courts and four appeal courts imposed the highest punishment against him based not onsolid evidence but only on confession of the defendant, who claimed that he was coerced into making self-recriminating statements after being tortured by police investigation officers.
In appeals, Manh rejected the lawyers appointed by the authorities, however, the trials continued even when thedefendant was without legal assistance, lawyers said.
Miscarriages of justice are rampant in Vietnam where torture is systemic while the courts oftenrely on defendants’ confessions regardless whether the confessions are coerced or not.
In a number of cases, sentenced people were proven innocent in murder cases after the real killers voluntarily came to police to confess their crimes. In all cases, the sentenced individuals said they were forced to make statements against themselves after being tortured by police investigators.
A number of police officers have been suspended and sentenced for committing torture, however, the perpetrators have received only light sentences for their wrongdoings, according to local human rights defenders.
RFA: Lê Văn Mạnh được hoãn thi hành án tử hình?
Vietnam Postpones Execution of Man Who Says He Was Tortured Into Confession
===========================
Civil Rights Defenders-honored Blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh Condemns Illegal Detention
Nha Trang city-based blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, who was honored with Human Rights Defender of the Year by the Stockholm-based Civil Rights Defenders in April, has sent a letter to Khanh Hoa province’s police to demand them to explain why she was detained last Sunday.
On October 25, she was stopped by a group of police officers when she was on her way to Cam Ranh Airport where she will take a flight to Ho Chi Minh City. The police officers took her to a police station in Phuoc Dong commune where she was held until late evening.
Quynh said during detention, police officers attacked her in a bid to take her cell phone.
She also demanded for financial compensation for the losses due to the illegal detention.
This is the 5th detention of Quynh by the local police since the beginning of 2014, she noted.
She said she will hold public demonstration to protest illegal detention and confiscation of personal items conducted by the local police.
FB: Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh – Yêu cầu làm rõ việc bắt giữ, câu lưu người trái phép
*******************28/10/2015***************
Many Vietnam Legislators, Experts Skeptical About Recording during Interrogation
A number of Vietnamese legislators and legal experts have expressed their doubt on implementation of video and audio recording during interrogation which is required in a draft amendment to the Criminal Procedure Code, saying the requirements are costly and impractical.
Ho Chi Minh City-based lawmaker Do Van Duong, who is also a member of the parliament’s Committee for Judicial Affairs, said video and audio recording is a waste of money. Miscarriages of justice cases are only small portion of total criminal cases, he said.
About 60% of defendants have been caught red handed and there is no need for recording during interrogation, he said. He wonders who will be responsible for recording while investigation officers are not willing to do it.
Dong Nai province-based legislator Ho Van Nam said the requirement for audio and video recording during interrogation aims to prevent torture and coerced confession, however, the move requires huge spending on equipping police units with taping equipments.
The recording may be useless if investigators torture suspects to extract coerced confession and make formal record later, he warned.
Many senior police officers object to the amendment which is expected to ensure human rights of detainees during police interrogation.
Legislator Nguyen Duc Chung, head of the Hanoi Police Department, said recording is a complicated task and the country has no adequate infrastructure for its implementation.
Vietnam is holding about 100,000 detainees and criminal suspects, he said, adding the country would need to spend huge financial resources on recording interrogations in all cases, said Major General Chung said. He proposed implementing such recording in special cases only.
Legislator Bui Mau Quan, deputy head of the General Department of Security II under the Ministry of Public Security said if interrogators intend to torture, they will not record the questioning.
Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuy Thiep from the National Political Academy also said the recording during interrogation is very costly, given the country is holding 160,000 detainees on 100,000 criminal cases.
The country may have to spend tens of trillion of dong on building infrastructure for audio and video recording in police facilities, she said. In addition, huge investments are needed for preservation of video and audio files, she noted.
In order to ensure equality for all people, Vietnam needs to equip record machineries in all police facilities for interrogation, including in remote areas, which is impossible, she said.
Lawyer Truong Anh Tu said recording cannot effectively deal with torture and police abuse while lawyer Tran Van Duc said the requirement is very important but difficult to implement.
Criminal cases are on the rise in Vietnam. Last year, police probed 73,606 cases with 110,924 suspects.
Recently, many defendants have complained that they were tortured into making confession. A number of them were imprisoned for many years before being proven innocent, according to state media.
The Criminal Procedure Code amendments, prepared by the Ministry of Justice, are being debated by the country’s legislative body National Assembly in its ongoing second session for 2015.
Vietnam ratified the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 2014, however, torture still occurs nationwide.
Vu Quoc Ngu: Many Vietnam Legislators, Experts Skeptical About Recording during Interrogation
***********29/10/2015***********
U.S. Congress Hearing: Vietnam Proposed to Be Listed in CPC
At a hearing of the U.S. Congress with participation of the highest ranking official of the Department of State on international religious freedom on October 27, Vietnam’s suppression against religious group was among the top topics.
During the hearing, Rabbi David Saperstein, the State Department’s ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom admitted that Vietnam has beaten, suppressed and halted meetings of independent religious groups.
Congressman Christopher Smith, who chaired the hearing, questioned measures of President Obama’s government to ensure Vietnam respect its commitments on human rights as it has pledged in negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.
Ambassador Saperstein said he held consultations with many Vietnamese religious clerks and supported their stance on the draft law on freedom of religions and beliefs which is debated in the ongoing session of Vietnam’s parliament.
The country has no religious freedom when the government wants to control all activities, including promotion and assigning of religious clerks, he said.
Vietnam’s freedom of religions has seen no progress in recent years, he said.
Mạch sống: Điều trần tại Quốc Hội Hoa Kỳ: Việt Nam được đề nghị vào danh sách CPC
*******************30/10/2015***********************
Vietnam Remains One of World’s Largest Prisons for Bloggers: Freedom House
Vietnam continues to be one of the worst jailers of bloggers in the world, with 29 netizens being imprisoned, said the U.S.-based non-governmental Freedom House in its report for the period between June 2014 and May 2015.
According to its newly-released report, Freedom House said at least eight Vietnamese bloggers were arrested or prosecuted under Article 258 of the country’s Penal Code for abusing democratic freedom to infringe on state interests.
Among those arrested and prosecuted are prominent blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh and his assistant Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy for their news website AnhBaSam, Mr. Kim Quoc Hoa, former editor of the mainstream print and online newspaper Nguoi Cao Tuoi.
The Vietnamese government’s Circular 9 tightened registration and licensing requirements for new social media sites, as well as intermediary liability for third-party content, Freedom House said.
The government has widely implemented its Decree 174 to punish online speech, the Washington-based organization noted. The decree, effective from January 2014, introduced administrative fines of VND100 million ($4,480) for anyone who “criticizes the government, the communist party or national heroes” or “spreads propaganda and reactionary ideology against the state” on social media
Vietnamese activists both in and outside of the country, have long been the target of sophisticated cyber attacks. The malicious software used in the attacks is advanced enough to evade detection by almost all commercial antivirus programs, and sent from servers in locations worldwide.
In 2015, cyber attacks in Vietnam became more personalized, indicating that attackers are familiar with the activities and interests of their targets.
Freedom House: Vietnam Remains One of World’s Largest Prisons for Bloggers
———————————-
Gov’t-backed Thugs Attack Hanoi Activists When They Celebrate 4th Anniversary of No-U Football Club
Thugs backed by Hanoi police attacked Vietnamese activists in Hanoi on Friday evening when the latter celebrated the 4th anniversary of No-U football club, a soccer team of patriotic activists in the capital city.
More than one hundreds of members of No-U FC and activists gathered on October 30 in a restaurant in Dong Da district to mark the establishment of the soccer team made up of Vietnamese people who oppose China’s illegal U-shaped line in the East Sea.
Dozens of uniformed policemen and plainclothes agents stationed outside of the restaurant. Activists recognized some security agents who donned waiters’ uniform to serve food for them at the restaurant.
After about half an hour, police ordered the restaurant owner to cut off electricity, forcing celebrators to use candles and their cell phones to light the room.
Few minutes later, police ordered the restaurant owner, managers and most of the staff to leave the restaurant. Later, a group of four to five thugs entered the restaurant, went to the party and used helmet and whatever they found to attack activists.
They broke glasses, empty bottles and dishes and threw them at the activists, causing light injuries to blogger Le Dung and one girl before leaving.
They continued to shout loudly outside of the restaurant and threatened to attack again.
Policemen stayed outside of the restaurant to watch although some victims called for help. Blogger Le Dung dialed the number of the police in Nga Tu So ward to report the incident, however, he received no response.
The restaurant owner disappeared and police did not come, so activists left the place after paying the bill. No minute about the incident with losses caused by thugs was made.
Earlier in the same evening, blogger Doan Trang was detained by Hanoi police when she was on her way to the party. She was released at 9.15 PM after the party ended.
In the afternoon of October 30, Hanoi-based blogger Trinh Anh Tuan was beaten by a group of thugs who did not allow him to go out to participate in an environmental workshop in the city. Tuan, a local pro-democracy activist and environmentalist, recognized some security agents among the thugs.
Earlier this year, Tuan was brutally attacked by government-backed thugs.
No-U FC was established in 2011 after series of anti-China demonstrations in Hanoi to protest Beijing’s violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty in the East Sea. The team plays every Sunday’s afternoon and many patriotic activists come to support players.
Since being established four years ago, No-U FC has been continuously harassed by the Hanoi police which have requested football fields owners not to allow the team to rent playing fields. The team has to move from one place to another due to local police intervention.
The Hanoi police have also sent agents to monitor all meetings of No-U FC.
The communist government in Hanoi has intensified crackdown against local dissidents and human rights activists one week ahead of the upcoming visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Vietnam, and the upcoming municipal communist party congress in the capital city.
Many members of No-U FC have joined other activists to sign a petition calling on Vietnam to cancel the visit of the Chinese leader set for November 5-6.
The communists in Hanoi will hold their congress tomorrow to select the local leadership for the next five years.
Vietnamese communists have ruled the country for decades. They have vowed to keep the country under a one-party regime, and have not tolerated criticisms and opposition.
SBTN: Côn đồ hành hung đập phá buổi sinh nhật nhóm No-U Hà Nội
SINH NHẬT LẦN 4 CỦA NO U FC BỊ KHỦNG BỐ DỮ DỘI
Gov’t-backed Thugs Attack Hanoi Activists When They Celebrate 4th Anniversary of No-U Football Club
————————-
Appeal Court Upholds 4-year Imprisonment for Ha Nam Province-based Land Petitioner
On October 29, the People’s Court in the northern province of Ha Nam rejected the appeal of land petitioner Nguyen Van Thien from Liem Can commune, Thanh Liem district, finding him guilty on charges of causing public disorders.
The court upheld his four-year jail sentence.
Land petitioners nationwide went to Ha Nam to attend the open trial, however, police forces blocked all points of access to the courtroom.
At the first hearing, the local police kidnapped Thien’s mother when she was on her way to attend the hearing. Police in Ha Nam held the 82-year-old mother in a hospital without knowledge of her relatives until she died from unknown reason.
SBTN: Toà phúc thẩm y án dân oan Nguyễn Văn Thiện 4 năm tù giam
===========================
Pro-democracy Activist Escapes to Thailand to Avoid Suppression
Pro-democracy activist Duong Van Nam has escaped to Thailand from Luc Ngan district, Bac Giang province where he had been under continuous suppression of the local authorities.
He will seek political asylum in Thailand, according to Radio Free Asia.
Nam said he had been under attacks of criminals while the local authorities took no actions to protect him.
RFA: Thêm một người lên tiếng cho dân chủ phải trốn sang Thái Lan
******************31/10/2015******************
Blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh Likely Poisoned in Detention: Senior Expert
Blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh, the founder of news website AnhBaSam, is likely being poisoned by communist authorities, said lawyer Tran Van Tao, who is former police chief in Ho Chi Minh City.
Mr. Tao, who spent eight years in prison during the Saigon regime, made this comment after he met with the prominent blogger in the Hanoi-based B14 detention facility on October 30. Mr. Vinh, who is a former security officer, has been kept there since being arrested on May 5 last year.
Mr. Tao, who had rich experience in prison, said Mr. Vinh has numerous acnes on the skin on his back, arms and legs. These are not scabies which may be caused by unhygienic conditions or lack of exposure to sunlight, but skin diseases caused by poisoning, said the lawyer
Vinh, who is also human rights activist, is held in a place without sunlight, the lawyer recognized.
Lawyer Le Thi Minh Ha, the wife of the blogger, said police has rejected her proposal to send medicines to her husband, including functional food products. She said his health has worsened very fast after 18 months under detention.
Poisoning political prisoners is not rare in communist Vietnam. Former political prisoner Vu Thu Hien, who lives in exile in Paris, said during his imprisonment in the Hanoi-based Hoa Lo Prison, he refused to eat meat for a long time because he suspected that the food was tainted with toxic chemicals.
Chemical teacher Dinh Dang Dinh, who was released on March 21, 2014, passed away two weeks later. After his release from prison, he said the prison’s authorities poisoned him by providing food contaminated with toxic substances.
Health conditions of many Vietnamese political dissidents have worsened after leaving prison, where they had suffered from torture, harassments, poor-quality food and bad hygiene and lack of proper healthcare.
Meanwhile, the U.S.-based non-governmental Freedom House in its report for the period between June 2014 and May 2015, has labeled Vietnam one of the worst jailers of bloggers in the world, with 29 netizens being imprisoned.
Freedom House said at least eight Vietnamese bloggers were arrested or prosecuted under Article 258 of the country’s Penal Code for abusing democratic freedom to infringe on state interests.
Among those arrested and prosecuted are prominent blogger Vinh and his assistant Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy for their news website AnhBaSam, Mr. Kinh Quoc Hoa, former editor of the mainstream print and online newspaper Nguoi Cao Tuoi.
The Vietnamese government’s Circular 9 tightened registration and licensing requirements for new social media sites, as well as intermediary liability for third-party content, Freedom House said.
The government has widely implemented its Decree 174 to punish online speech, the Washington-based organization noted. The decree, effective from January 2014, introduced administrative fines of VND100 million ($4,480) for anyone who “criticizes the government, the communist party or national heroes” or “spreads propaganda and reactionary ideology against the state” on social media
Vietnamese activists both in and outside of the country have long been the target of sophisticated cyber attacks. The malicious software used in the attacks is advanced enough to evade detection by almost all commercial antivirus programs, and sent from servers in locations worldwide.
In 2015, cyber attacks in Vietnam became more personalized, indicating that attackers are familiar with the activities and interests of their targets.
Vu Quoc Ngu: Blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh Likely Poisoned in Detention: Senior Expert
*************1/11/2015************
Human Rights Activist Tran Thi Nga Condemns Illegal Detention, Humiliation
Tran Thi Nga, one of key figures of the independent Vietnam Women for Human Rights, has sent a letter to the prime minister, the minister of public security and other relevant agencies to protest her illegal detention and humiliation on Monday.
On October 26, she accompanied Mrs. Nguyen Thi Viet, the mother of sentenced-to-death Le Van Manh, to the Supreme People’s Court in Hanoi to fill petition calling for suspension of the planned execution of Manh who claims that he was tortured and forced to make a confession during pre-trial detention.
At the public room of the Supreme People’s Court, Nga was arrested by police from Ha Nam where she resides. Police officers took her into a car and drove her back to her home town where she was questioned and searched by security officers.
Nga is among the most active human rights defenders calling for halting the planned execution of Manh and re-investigating the murder case in which he was accused of raping and killing a 14-year-old girl in the central province of Thanh Hoa.
Under international and domestic pressure, Vietnam’s authorities decided to suspend Manh’s execution and re-start investigation of the case
Dân luận: Trần Thị Nga – Đơn tố cáo công an có hành vi bắt giữ người trái pháp luật và làm nhục người khác