The Court of Appeals under the Supreme People’s Court has upheld prison sentences handed down on six defendants by the lower court on charges of "propaganda against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam".
The court sentenced Nguyen Xuan Nghia (born in 1949 in the northern port city of Hai Phong) to six years in prison; Nguyen Van Tuc (born in 1964 in the northern province of Thai Binh) to four years; Nguyen Van Tinh (born in 1942 in Hai Phong) and Nguyen Manh Son (born in 1943 in Hai Phong) each to three and a half years; Ngo Quynh (born in 1984 in the northern mountain province of Bac Giang) to three years; and Nguyen Kim Nhan (born in 1949 in Bac Giang) to two years.
All six will be kept under surveillance at their residence after serving their jail terms.
After the lower-court trial, the six convicts filed appeals to the Supreme People’s Court to ask for reduced sentences. Despite acknowledging the fairness of the lower court ruling, Nguyen Xuan Nghia said that a six-year prison term was too heavy for him and asked for a reduction due to his old age and poor health. His co-defendants also wanted to have their jail terms reduced because of poor health, limited political knowledge and in light of certain contributions they made to society.
However, representatives of the Supreme People’s Procuracy confirmed that Nguyen Xuan Nghia, together with his associates, hung up banners containing information against the State on the Lach Tray flyover in Hai Phong city and Lai Cach flyover in Hai Duong province.
They also produced and stored materials that negated the Vietnamese Communist Party’s leadership, called for a multi-party political system and libelled the government. They then uploaded these materials to the Internet or sent them to reactionary foreign newspapers.
These activities violate the law, cause serious damage to the society and need to be strictly punished, the prosecutors said.
The lower court trial thoroughly examined each case and each sentence as it related to each convict’s guilt and to Vietnamese law.
At the court of appeals, neither the defendants nor their attorneys could furnish new information to support a reduction in their punishments, and so it was determined that there was no foundation for the convicts’ sentences to be reconsidered./.
The court sentenced Nguyen Xuan Nghia (born in 1949 in the northern port city of Hai Phong) to six years in prison; Nguyen Van Tuc (born in 1964 in the northern province of Thai Binh) to four years; Nguyen Van Tinh (born in 1942 in Hai Phong) and Nguyen Manh Son (born in 1943 in Hai Phong) each to three and a half years; Ngo Quynh (born in 1984 in the northern mountain province of Bac Giang) to three years; and Nguyen Kim Nhan (born in 1949 in Bac Giang) to two years.
All six will be kept under surveillance at their residence after serving their jail terms.
After the lower-court trial, the six convicts filed appeals to the Supreme People’s Court to ask for reduced sentences. Despite acknowledging the fairness of the lower court ruling, Nguyen Xuan Nghia said that a six-year prison term was too heavy for him and asked for a reduction due to his old age and poor health. His co-defendants also wanted to have their jail terms reduced because of poor health, limited political knowledge and in light of certain contributions they made to society.
However, representatives of the Supreme People’s Procuracy confirmed that Nguyen Xuan Nghia, together with his associates, hung up banners containing information against the State on the Lach Tray flyover in Hai Phong city and Lai Cach flyover in Hai Duong province.
They also produced and stored materials that negated the Vietnamese Communist Party’s leadership, called for a multi-party political system and libelled the government. They then uploaded these materials to the Internet or sent them to reactionary foreign newspapers.
These activities violate the law, cause serious damage to the society and need to be strictly punished, the prosecutors said.
The lower court trial thoroughly examined each case and each sentence as it related to each convict’s guilt and to Vietnamese law.
At the court of appeals, neither the defendants nor their attorneys could furnish new information to support a reduction in their punishments, and so it was determined that there was no foundation for the convicts’ sentences to be reconsidered./.
