January 6, 2015

Vietnam to Review 16 Death-sentenced Cases Suspected of Miscarriage of Justice

by • Do Thi Hang, Han Duc Long, Ho Duy Hai, Huynh Van Nen, Le Ba Mai, Nguyen Van Chuong

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The Standing Committee of Vietnam’s National Assembly has asked the Supreme People’s Procuracy to cooperate with other state agencies to review 16 death-sentenced cases suspected of legal miscarriage, state media reported.
 Among the cases are death sentences of Han Duc Long and Do Thi Hang in Bac Giang, Ho Duy Hai in Long An, Nguyen Van Chuong in Haiphong, Huynh Van Nen in Binh Thuan and Le Ba Mai in Binh Phuoc, newspapers reported, adding that these cases have attracted a great deal of public attention.
By Vu Quoc Ngu | Jan 06, 2015
The Standing Committee of Vietnam’s National Assembly has asked the Supreme People’s Procuracy to cooperate with other state agencies to review 16 death-sentenced cases suspected of legal miscarriage, state media reported.
Among the cases are death sentences of Han Duc Long and Do Thi Hang in Bac Giang, Ho Duy Hai in Long An, Nguyen Van Chuong in Haiphong, Huynh Van Nen in Binh Thuan and Le Ba Mai in Binh Phuoc, newspapers reported, adding that these cases have attracted a great deal of public attention.
According to state media, in these cases, the people who received the capital punishment have complained of being tortured during the police interrogation and tried unfairly.
In December 2014, President Truong Tan Sang ordered to suspend the executions of Mr. Hai and Mr. Chuong which were scheduled in December for further investigation.
In the communist-ruled Vietnam where the communist party controls all legislation, executive and justice, the police’s systematic torture and unfair trials are main causes for miscarriage of justice, said Hanoi-based analysts.
In early 2014, Nguyen Thanh Chan in the northern province of Bac Giang was released after ten years in prison for wrong accusation of killing one local resident. He demanded a compensation of VND10 billion ($500,000) for the wrongful sentence and police torture after the real murder in the case confessed his crime.
Mr. Chan’s case is not the only one in the country where defending lawyers have minor roles in courts, observers said.
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