Chủ Nhật, 15 tháng 1, 2012

Police lieutenant colonel Nguyễn Văn Ninh, was sentenced to 4 years in prison

VRNs (Jan 15th, 2012) - Hà Nội – VRNs has learned from a source in Hanoi that Police lieutenant colonel Nguyễn Văn Ninh, was sentenced to 4 years in prison for beating to death Mr. Trịnh Xuân Tùng, after he was arrested for not wearing a safety helmet while driving in Hanoi.



Mr. Trinh Xuân Tùng was arrested by police in March of last year for not wearing a safety helmet while driving in the streets of Hanoi.

After the court proceedings, the family members of Mr. Tùng who were present outside the courtroom expressed their disatisfaction about the sentence they considered too light for such crime. They immediately marched in the streets brandishing pickets to protest against this sentencing.

A young woman was sentenced to 6 months in prison for slapping a policeman while colonel Ninh was only sentenced to 4 years in prison for causing the death of an individual.

A large group of friends of Ms. Trịnh Kim Tiến and other concerned citizens who came to give support to the Trinh family, were also present at the court house, despite the cold weather of Hanoi in January.

The prosecution only asked for a sentence of 3 to 4 years in prison. Upon hearing the sentencing, protest against this light sentencing was posted on Facebook, with comments such as “Justice has been tramped upon” “Police deadly brutality has been protected by court” “Let’s together ask for justice for the family of Trinh Kim Kim (Facebook nick name of Trịnh Kim Tiến.)

Trịnh Kim Tiến, the daughter of the deceased recalled her feelings in the days preceeding the sentencing: “My feet were swollen for walking too much, my eyes were blurred for staying awake, my hands were tired for writing so much, at one time, I could not take it anymore, everything happened so fast, I could not take it in”.

Paolo Nguyễn, a friend observed: “the police colonel took away the life of the only man in this family, now only remained four defenseless women to look after themselves. All they were asking for is some justice they had hoped still existed in this unfair and brutal world.”

Phúc Trần, another facebooker expressed stronger feelings: “This first court proceeding in 2012 in the Socialist Vietnam is not fair, the sense of justice was not satisfied, it’s worse than under the French colonial rule in the early XX century. I empathize with Mr. Trịnh Xuân Tùng and all those who have suffered under the police brutality. But I also feel sorry for a citizentry that is too cowardly to react against such happening.”

Phong Cường