The Hanoi People’s Court on April 5 opened the trial of six defendants accused of “trying to overthrow the people’s administration” under Clause 1, Article 79 of the 1999 Penal Code.

Defendant Nguyen Van Dai (standing, front) at the trial on April 5

The defendants include Nguyen Van Dai (born in 1969 and residing in Back Khoa ward of Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi), Pham Van Troi (born in 1972 and residing in Chuong Duong commune of Thuong Tin district, Hanoi) and Nguyen Trung Ton (born in 1972 and residing in Quang Yen commune of Quang Xuong district, Thanh Hoa province).

The three others are Nguyen Bac Truyen (born in 1968 and residing in Ward 4 of District 4, Ho Chi Minh City), Truong Minh Duc (born in 1960 and residing in Vinh Thuan town of Vinh Thuan district, Kien Giang province) and Le Thu Ha (born in 1982 and residing in Dong Giang ward of Dong Ha city, Quang Tri province).

There are six lawyers defending the six defendants at the trial.

According to the indictment of the Supreme People’s Procuracy, from March 2013 to July 2017, Nguyen Van Dai, Pham Van Troi, Nguyen Trung Ton and Nguyen Bac Truyen initiated and established the “Hoi anh em dan chu” (Brotherhood for Democracy) organisation. They built the organisation’s platform, statutes and regulations and also steered its activities.

Dai and his accessories induced Truong Minh Duc, Le Thu Ha and some others to set up representative offices and a website of the organisation and build a “brief platform” of “Hoi anh em dan chu”. This organisation had a strict structure, strategies for internal and external affairs, and activities to develop its membership.

The indictment said the defendants took advantage of fighting for “democracy, human rights” and “civil society” to conceal the purposes of “Hoi anh em dan chu”. They connected with foreign organisations and illegal organisations in Vietnam to seek overseas support and financial aid and conduct propaganda against the State, aiming that when their force was strong enough and the time was right, they would publicly confront the administration and change the political regime in Vietnam so as to build a regime of “pluralism, multiparty” and “separation of powers” and topple the people’s administration.

According to the Supreme People’s Procuracy, Nguyen Van Dai was the mastermind and acted as the second Vice President of “Hoi anh em dan chu”. He built the platform of the organisation, engaged in discussing and planning operation methods and developing the force, and induced Le Thu Ha to take part.

Dai was also accused of training and instructing other members about methods and experience of implementing activities, setting up schemes and contacting foreign organisations and individuals to call for donation, and receiving 71,726 USD and 9,161 EUR financed for activities of “Hoi anh em dan chu”. He was accused of conducting propaganda against the State.

Meanwhile, Pham Van Troi founded and acted as President of “Hoi anh em dan chu”, held positions in charge of the organisation’s activities in the northern region, and built the platform. He was accused of discussing and planning development of the organisation’s membership, inducing six people to join “Hoi anh em dan chu”, and guiding other members about methods and experience of implementing activities.

Troi was also accused of being in charge of the fund of “Hoi anh em dan chu”, directing the organisation’s members to oppose the National Assembly election in May 2016, and conducting anti-State propaganda.

The trial is scheduled to last through April 6.-VNA