【越南】異議人士遭不義審判

2010/01/21

國際特赦組織新聞稿｜2010年1月20日

國際特赦組織呼籲越南政府立即無條件釋放四位良心犯，他們僅因爭取民主的和平活動而遭監禁。

經過一整天開庭審判，位於胡志明市的法院認定四位異議人士「意圖顛覆人民政府」，分別判處五到十六年的徒刑。

國際特赦組織越南研究員Brittis Edman說：「這些人根本不應被逮捕，更不應被起訴和判刑。在審判過程中，當局不允許被告作有意義的辯護，充分顯現其對言論自由與和平異議的缺乏寬容，以及司法無法獨立。」

這項判決的背景是當局日益升高對批評政府言論的打壓。2009年5月開始的新一波逮捕行動，目標指向批判政府政策的獨立律師、網路部落客和民主運動人士。目前有超過三十位良心犯經過不公正的審判被投入牢獄。

法院判處43歲的前網路公司負責人Tran Huynh Duy Thuc十六年徒刑和五年軟禁。26歲的資訊工程師及部落客Nguyen Tien Trung（阮前中）被判七年徒刑；41歲的著名律師Le Cong Dinh（黎公定）與42歲的商人Le Thang Long則被判刑五年。

上個月，檢察機關決定將起訴罪名由刑法第88條「煽動」顛覆政府罪改為更嚴重的第79條「顛覆人民政府罪」。

Brittis Edman說：「這項審判是對正義的徹底踐踏，違反無罪推定原則和辯護權等基本人權。」

檢察機關沒有提出任何證據來支持其起訴的罪名。法官們只討論了十五分鐘即作出判決，卻花了45分鐘才將判決宣讀完畢，足見判決書早在審判之前就已備妥。

被告家屬、外交人員和記者都只能在法庭隔壁的房間透過閉路電視旁聽審判。許多人被禁止進入旁聽，包括Tran Huynh Duy Thuc的家人們。

這項審判凸顯越南1999年刑法的許多嚴重缺陷亟待改革，其中被用來起訴和平異議言論的條文含糊籠統，違反越南的國際法義務。

背景說明

越南刑法第79條「顛覆人民政府罪」條文：

意圖顛覆人民政府而著手實施，或組織或加入團體者，處下列刑罰：
1. 組織、教唆、積極參加或致嚴重後果者，處死刑、無期徒刑或十二年以上、二十年以下有期徒刑。
2. 其他共犯處五年以上、十五年以下有期徒刑。

[ENGLISH]

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE
20 January 2010

Vietnamese dissidents’ trial a mockery of justice

Amnesty International calls for the immediate and unconditional release of four Vietnamese prisoners of conscience jailed today for their peaceful pro-democracy activism.

In a trial lasting one day, a court in Ho Chi Minh City convicted the four dissidents of “activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration” and sentenced them to between five and 16 years in prison.

“These people should never have been arrested in the first place, let alone charged and sentenced. The trial allowed no meaningful defense for the accused, demonstrating all too clearly the lack of tolerance for free speech and peaceful dissent, and the court’s lack of independence,” said Brittis Edman, Amnesty International’s Viet Nam researcher.

The sentences come against a backdrop of escalating repression against critics of the government. A new wave of arrests began in May 2009, targeting independent lawyers, bloggers and pro-democracy activists critical of government policies. Over 30 prisoners of conscience remain behind bars after unfair trials.

The court convicted Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, 43, a former internet company owner and businessman, to 16 years’ imprisonment and five years of house arrest upon release. IT engineer and blogger Nguyen Tien Trung, 26, was sentenced to seven years in prison, while prominent lawyer Le Cong Dinh, 41, and businessman Le Thang Long, 42, each received five year sentences.

Last month, the prosecution decided to change the original charges from Article 88, "conducting propaganda" against the state, to the more serious Article 79, “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration.”

“The trial made a complete mockery of justice, disregarding fundamental human rights such as the principle of presumption of innocence and the right to defense”, said Brittis Edman.

The prosecution gave no evidence to support the indictment, and the judges deliberated for only 15 minutes before returning with the judgment, which took 45 minutes to read and clearly had been prepared in advance of the hearing.

Family members, diplomats and journalists observed the trial from an adjacent room through a video link. Many had been turned away, including several family members of Tran Huynh Duy Thuc.

The trial also shows the urgent need to reform the serious short-comings of the 1999 Penal Code, the vague provisions of which criminalize peaceful dissent, contrary to Viet Nam’s obligations under international law.

Background

Article 79 Carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration:

Those who carry out activities, establish or join organizations with intent to overthrow the people’s administration shall be subject to the following penalties:

1. Organizers, instigators and active participants or those who cause serious consequences shall be sentenced to between twelve and twenty years of imprisonment, life imprisonment or capital punishment;

2. Other accomplices shall be subject to between five and fifteen years of imprisonment.