VIETNAM: CONVICT FREED AFTER TWO DEATH SENTENCES

Tay Ninh Province resident Nguyen Minh Hung was released from jail despite twice being sentenced to death by local judges for trafficking heroin. The Tay Ninh Province People’s Court overturned Hung’s earlier convictions after he successfully appealed to the Supreme People’s Court – twice. In May 2003, Tay Ninh Province authorities busted a drug trafficking ring operating between Vietnam and Cambodia, allegedly led by Phan Nguyen Anh Thu. Tay Ninh Province People’s Court sentenced Hung to death based on the investigation reports. Hung maintained his innocence and appealed to the Supreme People’s Court in Ho Chi Minh City, which ordered further investigation of the case. Upon receiving the updated investigation reports, Tay Ninh Court retried Hung and once again sentenced him to death. After his second appeal was lodged, in April last year the Supreme People’s Court asked for still more investigation of the case. The Tay Ninh court finally ruled the investigators had failed to produce enough evidence for Hung to be found guilty.