In its letters to the Federal Supreme Court, the Russian embassy to Vietnam and the Russia-Vietnam Association, the Vietnamese friendship body called for urgent action to bring criminals to justice and give them due punishments.

The trial cannot finish now with the verdict, said the Friendship Association Central Committee, referring to the Russian Federal appeal court's decision on March 1 to free all defendants in the case of upholding a verdict made by the Saint Peterburg court on Nov. 13, 2006.

"We strongly protest and urgently demand the Russian Federal Supreme Court reconsider its conclusion. We also demand that Saint Peterburg authorities reinvestigate the case and uncover criminals, who deserve due punishments," said activists working for Vietnam-Russia friendship.

They also called on defenders of justice in Russia to act immediately to protect foreigners, including Vietnamese nationals, who lives legally in Russia.

Vu Anh Tuan, a student of the Saint Peterburg State Technological University, was killed on Oct. 13, 2004.

Meanwhile, two Vietnamese youth organisations have raised strong protests against a Russian court's verdict to free all defendants accussed of killing their fellow student on Russian soil.

On March 3, the Federation of Vietnamese Youth issued a statement demanding that the Director of the Russian Federal Court Presidium conduct the trial fairly and hand down due punishments to criminals against Vu Anh Tuan.

"Responsible Russian agencies should ensure security for students coming from Vietnam and other countries, who are studying in Russia," the youth organisation emphasised.

The statement also urged the Vietnamese and Russian public as well as other people around the world to fight for justice.

The Vietnam Students' Association has joined in the protest by demanding law enforcement bodies of Russia to continue investigating the case, conduct the trial seriously and give due punishments to criminals according to the Russian law.

"The Central Committee of the Vietnam Students' Association believes that the criminals who killed Vietnamese student Vu Anh Tuan should receive due punishments," concluded the statement.

Vu Anh Tuan, a student of the Saint Peterburg State Technological University, was killed on Oct. 13, 2004.

A month later, the suspects stood behind the bar of the Saint Peterburg Court, which gave a verdict counter to the Saint Peterburg procuracy's investigations which included strong evidence concerning the murder.

On March 1, 2007, the Federal Supreme Court of Russia upheld the verdict made on November 13, 2006 by the Saint Peterburg court, causing protests in Vietnam and Russia.

VNA/VOVNews