Hue (VNA) - A man in the central city of Hue was brought to the first-instance trial on July 9 on the charge of "deliberately damaging property" at the Hue Imperial Citadel.
The People's Procuracy of Region 2 of Hue city pressed its indictment and asked for a prison term of three years and six months to four years for Ho Van Phuong Tam under Clause 2, Article 178 of the Criminal Code.
After a full review of the case, the court sentenced Tam to three years and six months in prison.
According to the indictment, Tam bought an admission ticket to the citadel around noon on May 24, 2025. Once inside Thai Hoa Palace, he climbed over a protective barrier, sat on the "Nguyen Dynasty Throne", and broke off the front-left armrest before striking the artifact further and shattering the broken section into multiple pieces. Security personnel restrained and arrested him about 15 minutes later and handed him over to police.
An official valuation pegged the minimum restoration cost for the damaged part at more than 173.2 million VND (6,600 USD). The valuation council said the loss of the throne’s historical, cultural and spiritual significance as a national treasure is beyond monetary valuation.
During the investigation, authorities found that at the time of the incident, Tam was suffering from a severe mental disorder triggered by prolonged methamphetamine use, leaving him unable to control his action.
The "Nguyen Dynasty Throne" is a unique original artifact used from 1802 to 1945 during major state ceremonies of the Nguyen Dynasty at Thai Hoa Palace. The Prime Minister designated it a national treasure in 2015./.
