Diocese of Vinh to appeal judges: acquit three young innocent Catholics
ICC Note:
A Catholic diocese in Northern Vietnam is appealing the verdict handed down to three young Christian activists sentencing them to 18-42 months in jail. The three Christians were arrested along with 14 others in June of 2011 for allegedly spreading “propaganda against the state.” The three men were active in charity works within their community and are being targeted by the Vietnamese government which often uses laws against “propaganda” to suppress groups such as Catholics which it sees as undermining government authority.
09/06/2012 Vietnam (AsiaNews.it)- The Commission for Justice and Peace of the Catholic Church of Vinh, in the north of Vietnam, is demanding that the appeal process against three young people is “consistent with international law.” In a statement published on the website of the diocese, the Christian body picks apart the charges behind the sentence laid by judges at the preliminary ranging from 18 to 42 months in prison. The three young Catholics where found guilty of “propaganda against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam” and distributing “anti-government leaflets,” according to Articles 88 and 79 of the Criminal Code of the country.
To date, only four out of 17 Christian activists, who were arrested by the police in June 2011, have undergone trial. The first hearing was held on 25 May in a people’s court of the province of Nghe An (see AsiaNews 05/25/2012 Four Catholic activists, on trial for “propaganda against the state”, are sentenced”). The judges issued a sentence of 42 months in prison, plus 18 months probation for Dau Van VIETNAM Four Catholic activists, on trial for “propaganda against the state”, are sentenced – Asia NewsDuong, 39 months in prison and one year of probation for Tran Huu Duc; 36 months and one year of probation for Chu Manh Son, and finally Hoang Phong, was sentenced to 18 months. Three of them have appealed the sentence.
In the statement released by the Justice and Peace Commission – launched by the diocese on the eve of the trial and published by Eglises d’Asie – the Catholics insist the Criminal Code article on which the charge is based is unconstitutional. The crime of propaganda against the state, in fact, is contrary to the constitutional principles relating to civil rights. The Commission also emphasizes the “non-compliance” of the articles of the Criminal Code in relation to international legislation. Finally, it rattles off numerous “procedural” errors that characterized the trial.
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