Appeal trial held for six defendants involved in Dong Tam disturbance
The High-Level People’s Court in Hanoi on March 8 opened a trial for six defendants filing appeals in the case of “murder” and “resisting on-duty officers” that happened in Hoanh village of Dong Tam commune, Hanoi’s My Duc district, in January 2020.
At the appeal trial, scheduled to last through March 10, there are 11 lawyers defending the defendants and two others representing the families of the three police officers killed in the case.
The defendants lodging appeals consist of Le Dinh Cong, Le Dinh Chuc, Le Dinh Doanh, Bui Viet Hieu, Nguyen Quoc Tien, and Bui Thi Noi.
At the first-instance trial held in September last year, the Hanoi People’s Court handed down penalties to 29 defendants.
Found guilty of “murder”, Le Dinh Cong and Le Dinh Chuc were sentenced to death, Le Dinh Doanh life imprisonment, Bui Viet Hieu 16 years in prison, and Nguyen Quoc Tien 13 years behind bars.
With the same offence, Nguyen Van Tuyen received a penalty of 12 years in jail.
Accused of “resisting on-duty officers”, 23 other defendants were given sentences of between 15 months’ probation to six years in prison. Among them, Bui Thi Noi was imprisoned for six years.
According to the first-instance trial’s verdict, this was an extremely serious case in which the defendants’ deeds were extremely dangerous for society, defied and disregarded laws, brazenly infringed upon the State and local authorities’ right activities, and displayed contempt for the lives and health of others, especially those on duty.
Their deeds were extremely brutal and inhumane when using petrol to burn the three policemen, the jury said, concluding that the six defendants guilty of “murder” were the masterminds behind the crime, and they also led and directly committed criminal acts.
Cong was the leader, who often incited resistance, organised meetings, and posted video clips and livestreamed on social networks in which he threatened to kill 300 – 500 police officers. He also actively prepared equipment, assigned tasks to other defendants, directed and contributed money to buy petrol and grenades, guided others how to make petrol bombs and tinder, and directly threw petrol bombs and grenades toward on-duty officers, according to the verdict.
