The People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City on January 20 pronounced sentences to four men charged with “working to overthrow the people’s administration” under Article 79 of the Penal Code.
Tran Huynh Duy Thuc was sentenced to 16 years, Nguyen Tien Trung, seven years, and Le Cong Dinh and Le Thang Long, five years, in prison.
While Trung and Dinh sincerely confessed their violations of law and showed their repentance, the other two offenders tried to deny their crimes and the accusations indicted by the Supreme People’s Procuracy.
The jury held that the case was especially serious as it breached the national security, saying the acts of the accused were closely organized and coordinated in conjunction with reactionary organizations of Vietnamese in exile and other hostile forces.