Vietnamese Citizen Dies after Being Detained, Second Death within One Week

Police torture is systemic in Vietnam, according to the recent report of Human Rights Watch

Luong Minh Tuan from Vietnam’s biggest economic hub Ho Chi Minh City has become the second citizen to die during police detention within a week, according to the state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper.

Mr. Tuan, 21, who was detained by authorities in Long An province last year for investigation on his role in a property stealing, died on Jan 17, two days after being transferred from the detention facility of Duc Hoa district to Hau Nghia Hospital.

Luong Thanh Long, the older brother of Tuan said his family was informed by the local authorities on late Jan 15 that the detainee was under urgent emergency in Hau Nghia Hospital. Meeting his younger brother in the hospital, Long found that Tuan was very weak, with blooding in his mouth.

Tuan is waiting for trial as police concluded investigation in which he was accused of committing burglary, Long added.

After transferring Tuan to the hospital, the People’s Court in Duc Hoa issued a decision which allows Tuan to return to his family to wait for the trial. The decision was handed over to his family in the hospital, the newspaper said.

After his death, Senior Lieutenant Nguyen Minh Sang, the spokesman of Long An province’s Police Department said the investigation agency will launch an investigation in the case.

Dr. Le Thanh Liem, head of the Long An province’s Health Department, said Tuan’s health was critical when he was transferred to the hospital and its staff failed to rescue him. Mr. Long noted that his brother was healthy before being detained.

The other deaths within last week were those of Mr. Dang Van Hanh from the central province of Nghe An after being arrested on allegation of stealing two boxes of bricks and of Nguyen Thanh Tam, a student of 9-grade class in the central province of Quang Ngai, with the main cause being suicide after being interrogated by local police without presence of his relatives nor teacher, the Tuoi Tre newspaper reported Saturday.

In Vietnam where torture and other ill-treatment is systemic, many people died in police stations and detention facilities. According to the Ministry of Public Security, 226 detainees and prisoners died in the period between October 2011 and September 2014. Last year, around twenty people died in police stations and dozens suffered severe injuries.

While police said illness and suicides were main causes of their deaths, the victims’ families believe that police torture is the key reason.

Few Vietnamese policemen have been disciplined for torturing suspects.

Vietnam adopted the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 2014.