The People’s Procuracy of Hanoi City on June 25 issued the indictment to prosecute 29 defendants in the case of “using gasoline to burn 3 police officers to death in Dong Tam commune, My Duc district.”
According to the indictment, 25 people were charged with “murder” in accordance with Article 123 of the Criminal Code 2015.
Four other defendants were charged with “resisting on-duty state officials” under Article 330 of the same code.
The 29 defendants all resided in Dong Tam commune, My Duc district.
Meanwhile, the group of lawyers of the defendants reported that they “had difficulty accessing, copying case files” at the People’s Procuracy of Hanoi.
Prosecution
25 defendants charged with “murder” include Le Dinh Cong, Bui Viet Hieu, Nguyen Van Tuyen, Le Dinh Chuc, Le Dinh Doanh, Nguyen Quoc Tien, Nguyen Van Quan, Le Dinh Uy, Le Dinh Quang, Bui Thi Noi, Bui Thi Dan, Nguyen Thi Bet, Nguyen Thi Lua, Tran Thi La, Bui Van Tien, Nguyen Van Due, Le Dinh Quan, Bui Van Nien, Bui Van Tuan, Trinh Van Hai, Nguyen Xuan Dieu, Mai Thi Phan, Dao Thi Kim, Le Thi Loan, and Nguyen Van Trung.
The remaining four land petitioners Le Dinh Hien, Bui Viet Tien, Nguyen Thi Dung, and Tran Thi Phuong, were charged with “resisting on-duty state officials.”
Mr. Le Dinh Kinh’s wife, Ms. Du Thi Thanh recalled the police incident to Hoanh village on the morning of January 9
Domestic media, such as the New Hanoi newspaper, cited the indictment, which accuses Le Dinh Kinh, from 2017 to early 2020, of directing the Consensus Group and many others in unlawfully arresting people and intentionally damaging property.”
Mr. Le Dinh Kinh was killed on the morning of January 9, 2020, while thousands of riot policemen were deployed to Dong Tam commune.
New Hanoi newspaper, apparently citing the indictment, reported the Jan 9 incident as follows:
“According to the assignment, the police force consisted of comrades: Nguyen Huy Thinh, Pham Cong Huy, Duong Duc Hoang Quan, and many others were implementing plans to break in and arrest the objects of a crime.
When comrades Thinh, Huy, and Quan moved to Le Dinh Chuc’s house roof, Chuc used a metal tube to attach a gourd knife from top to bottom, other subjects threw petrol bombs and bricks, so 3 officers fell into a nearby pit of Le Dinh Kinh’s house. At that time, Chuc asked Doanh to pour gasoline from the can into the basin so that Chuc poured into the pit where comrades Thinh, Huy, and Quan fell and set the fire. As a result, all 3 people died from suffocation and full-body charcoal burn.
During the course of doing their duty, the task force broke the door of Le Dinh Kinh’s door, when he discovered that Kinh was holding a grenade and calling for objecting, they shot and killed him… “
The defendants’lawyers speake up
Meanwhile, the defendant’s lawyers group has sent an application to the Vietnam Bar Federation for assistance.
Lawyers say on June 16, lawyer Le Van Hoa went to People’s Procuracy of Hanoi and phoned for the prosecutor who handles the case to ask for making a copy of the investigation result sent by the city’s police, however, their efforts were not answered.
The next day, lawyer Hoa continued to make many phone calls and texts for this prosecutor but did not get answers.
From June 18 to June 22, lawyer Hoa and lawyer Pham Le Quyen continue to visit the People’s Procuracy of Hanoi in a bid to request for copies of the case files but they were told that the prosecutor is not in his office. He has also not answered the calls from the lawyers.
The lawyers’ group said that Mr. Le Van Hoa met with the receptionist of the People’s Procuracy of Hanoi to report the situation and request them to settle the issue, but the receptionist did not accept the defense counsels issued by the Investigation Police Agency but requested Lawyer Hoa to re-register procedures at the People’s Procuracy.
The Vietnam Bar Federation said on June 25 that if the statements of the above lawyers were correct, the lawyers would not have to redo the procedure for registration of defense at the People’s Court of Hanoi.
The Vietnam Bar Federation expressed its concern that the lawyers would not have access after many days to copy the case files “that have affected the lawyer’s right to practice law and the rights of the accused.”
Therefore, the Vietnam Bar Federation said it transferred the application of the above lawyers to the People’s Procuracy’s leadership for consideration.
Thoibao.de (Translated)
