The Ho Chi Minh City-based Supreme People’s Court on August 18 opened its second instance trial of Tran Thi Thuy and her accomplices on charges of “working to overthrow the people’s administration” pursuant to Clause 2, Article 79 of Vietnam’s Penal Code.
The hearing was held at the People’s Court of the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre after Tran Thi Thuy, Pham Van Thong, Duong Kim Khai and Cao Van Tinh lodged appeals.
According to the verdict of the first hearing held by the Ben Tre provincial People’s Court on May 30, these people, under the arrangement of the reactionary Vietnam Reform Party (Viet Nam Canh Tan Cach Mang Dang or Viet Tan for short), went to Thailand and Cambodia to study and receive training in guidelines and goals as well as action plans to overthrow the people’s administration through a method of “non-violence”.
After being admitted to this organisation, they were assigned tasks and given money to forward slogans, leaflets and documents to Vietnam and recruit people to be sent to Thailand and Cambodia for training.
Through the instruction of the Viet Tan organisation, the defendants set up an organisation called “Hiep hoi than huu nguoi Viet Nam tuong tro” (Vietnamese Association of Friendship and Mutual Assistance) and gathered forces to conduct rebellions nationwide.
With those guilty acts, the first trial handed down sentences of eight years of imprisonment to Tran Thi Thuy, seven years to Pham Van Thong, six years to Duong Kim Khai and five years to Cao Van Tinh. They were also sentenced to a five-year probation after serving their prison terms.
At the second hearing, the jury determined that the initial verdict was appropriate with the nature and dangerousness of the defendants’ violations.
However, based on the repentance of Khai and Tinh, the jury accepted their appeals to reduce imprisonment terms and handed down five years of imprisonment to Khai and four and a half years to Tinh, respective decreases of one year and six months compared with the first verdict./.
The hearing was held at the People’s Court of the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre after Tran Thi Thuy, Pham Van Thong, Duong Kim Khai and Cao Van Tinh lodged appeals.
According to the verdict of the first hearing held by the Ben Tre provincial People’s Court on May 30, these people, under the arrangement of the reactionary Vietnam Reform Party (Viet Nam Canh Tan Cach Mang Dang or Viet Tan for short), went to Thailand and Cambodia to study and receive training in guidelines and goals as well as action plans to overthrow the people’s administration through a method of “non-violence”.
After being admitted to this organisation, they were assigned tasks and given money to forward slogans, leaflets and documents to Vietnam and recruit people to be sent to Thailand and Cambodia for training.
Through the instruction of the Viet Tan organisation, the defendants set up an organisation called “Hiep hoi than huu nguoi Viet Nam tuong tro” (Vietnamese Association of Friendship and Mutual Assistance) and gathered forces to conduct rebellions nationwide.
With those guilty acts, the first trial handed down sentences of eight years of imprisonment to Tran Thi Thuy, seven years to Pham Van Thong, six years to Duong Kim Khai and five years to Cao Van Tinh. They were also sentenced to a five-year probation after serving their prison terms.
At the second hearing, the jury determined that the initial verdict was appropriate with the nature and dangerousness of the defendants’ violations.
However, based on the repentance of Khai and Tinh, the jury accepted their appeals to reduce imprisonment terms and handed down five years of imprisonment to Khai and four and a half years to Tinh, respective decreases of one year and six months compared with the first verdict./.
