Urgent request for protection for journalist who received threatening phone calls.
The caller harassed and threatened journalist Le Tan Loc, even threatening to harm his two young children.
On the afternoon of May 3rd, the Editorial Board of the Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper sent an urgent letter requesting the Nha Trang City Police (Khanh Hoa) and the Tuy Hoa City Police (Phu Yen) to take measures to protect journalist Le Tan Loc and his family, who are being subjected to psychological harassment and death threats.
According to the report by Mr. Le Tan Loc, a reporter for the Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper based in the South Central region, on May 3rd, a woman and a man repeatedly used the phone numbers 0905032… and 0961933… to loudly insult, psychologically terrorize, and threaten his life and the lives of his family. The man even declared he would “deal with” Mr. Le Tan Loc’s two children.
Previously, on April 26th, the Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper published an article titled: "Court handles case 'super fast' after 15 days of processing" by a contributor. Before publishing this article, the Editorial Board of the Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper instructed reporter Le Tan Loc to contact Mr. Vo Quoc Tuan - Chief Judge of the Nha Trang City People's Court - to inquire about some aspects related to the procedural steps of the trial.
The aforementioned article refers to a civil lawsuit concerning a loan agreement dispute between Mr. Mai Thanh Tung, residing at 16/2 Nguyen Chanh Street, Loc Tho Ward, Nha Trang City, and Thien Hai Phu Co., Ltd., headquartered in Vinh Hai Ward, Nha Trang City. One of the parties with related rights and obligations in this lawsuit is Ms. Chu Thi Ngoc Hien, residing at 21 Tan An Street, Phuoc Hai Ward.
In phone calls to journalist Le Tan Loc, the woman and man clearly stated that Vo Quoc Tuan – Chief Judge of the Nha Trang City People's Court – had informed them that journalist Le Tan Loc was the one who had contacted him to gather information and write articles…
Because the person making the threatening phone calls is residing in Nha Trang City, and journalist Le Tan Loc's family is in Tuy Hoa City, the Editorial Board of the Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper has sent a document to the Nha Trang City Police and the Tuy Hoa City Police.
Also on the afternoon of May 3rd, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Phu Yen province, Mr. Pham Dai Duong, instructed the Phu Yen Provincial Police to take measures to protect journalist Le Tan Loc and his family.
