Police officers in front of a court building in political trial in HCM City (Photo courtesy: voanew.com)
By Vu Quoc Ngu, April 7, 2016
A group of 44 students from the Hanoi Law University have sent a joint letter to the Hanoi People’s Court to demand the agency not to prevent people, including students, from attending open trials.
Law students should attend trials to enrich their experience for their professional career, the students said, adding banning people from attending open trials is a serious violation of the country’s 2013 Constitution and laws.
The People’s Court must provide documentations of open trials for law students, they said.
The brave students said they would hold dialogue with the chief of the Hanoi People’s Court to discuss his decision which has stopped people, including law students, from attending open trials.
Hanoi-based human rights lawyer Le Luan said he supports the signed students, and is ready to help them if they meet difficulties or reprisals of authorities and their university against their joint letter.
In Vietnam, authorities have banned social activists and ordinary people from attending political trials and other hearings on sensitive cases although the trials are open.
Even family members of the defendants in political cases are often not allowed to enter the courtrooms.
On March 23, many social activists and foreign diplomats tried to go to the open trial against prominent blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh and his assistant Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy on charge of “abusing democratic freedoms” under Article 258 of the country’s Penal Code, however, they were stopped outside of the courtroom which was full of police officers and “selected members of the public”. The People’s Court of Hanoi turned down their request to observe and did not allow Mr. Martin Patzelt, a member of the German Parliament and member of its Human Rights Committee, to attend the trial.
In order to prevent social activists from gathering outside of courtrooms to support defendants on political charges, the Ministry of Public Security issued Circular 13, effective from March 24, this year to empower security forces to disperse them and arrest those who are considered as leaders. The detainees will face allegation of causing public disorders with a maximum of seven years in prison if convicted, according to Article 245 of the country’s Penal Code.
The Paris-based Vietnam Committee for Human Rights (VCHR) said the circular is anti-constitutional and that Minister of Public Security General Tran Dai Quang, who was elected as the country’s president on April 2, is overstepping his powers and trampling on the rights enshrined in Vietnam’s 2013 Constitution.
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April 7, 2016
44 Law Students Demand Hanoi Court not to Stop People from Attending Open Trials
by Nhan Quyen • [Human Rights]
Police officers in front of a court building in political trial in HCM City (Photo courtesy: voanew.com)
By Vu Quoc Ngu, April 7, 2016
A group of 44 students from the Hanoi Law University have sent a joint letter to the Hanoi People’s Court to demand the agency not to prevent people, including students, from attending open trials.
Law students should attend trials to enrich their experience for their professional career, the students said, adding banning people from attending open trials is a serious violation of the country’s 2013 Constitution and laws.
The People’s Court must provide documentations of open trials for law students, they said.
The brave students said they would hold dialogue with the chief of the Hanoi People’s Court to discuss his decision which has stopped people, including law students, from attending open trials.
Hanoi-based human rights lawyer Le Luan said he supports the signed students, and is ready to help them if they meet difficulties or reprisals of authorities and their university against their joint letter.
In Vietnam, authorities have banned social activists and ordinary people from attending political trials and other hearings on sensitive cases although the trials are open.
Even family members of the defendants in political cases are often not allowed to enter the courtrooms.
On March 23, many social activists and foreign diplomats tried to go to the open trial against prominent blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh and his assistant Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy on charge of “abusing democratic freedoms” under Article 258 of the country’s Penal Code, however, they were stopped outside of the courtroom which was full of police officers and “selected members of the public”. The People’s Court of Hanoi turned down their request to observe and did not allow Mr. Martin Patzelt, a member of the German Parliament and member of its Human Rights Committee, to attend the trial.
In order to prevent social activists from gathering outside of courtrooms to support defendants on political charges, the Ministry of Public Security issued Circular 13, effective from March 24, this year to empower security forces to disperse them and arrest those who are considered as leaders. The detainees will face allegation of causing public disorders with a maximum of seven years in prison if convicted, according to Article 245 of the country’s Penal Code.
The Paris-based Vietnam Committee for Human Rights (VCHR) said the circular is anti-constitutional and that Minister of Public Security General Tran Dai Quang, who was elected as the country’s president on April 2, is overstepping his powers and trampling on the rights enshrined in Vietnam’s 2013 Constitution.