Tears of Goodness

(Baonghean) -Those attending the appeal trial of the case of activities aimed at overthrowing the people's government yesterday (May 23) could not help but feel sorry for the tears of remorse of the defendants when they realized their mistakes and wished to receive leniency from the law so that they could soon return to being useful people to society...

Among the 8 defendants whose appeals were brought to trial at this trial, defendant Nguyen Xuan Anh was the one who quickly realized his mistake and expressed sincere remorse. On March 12, 2013, Nguyen Xuan Anh wrote a petition to the Supreme People's Court of Appeal with very poignant words, in which he wrote: "Previously, because I did not understand the law and wanted to travel here and there for free, I listened to the instigation of some bad friends who enticed me to join the Viet Tan organization.

After being arrested, the investigating officers clearly analyzed that the defendant had participated in a reactionary organization and had violated the law, negatively affecting public security and order. Thanks to that, the defendant saw that his participation in Viet Tan was wrong, going against the guidelines and policies of our Party and State, so the defendant felt guilty towards his predecessors, guilty towards the Party and State. The defendant was very remorseful for his criminal behavior. During the trial at the first instance, the defendant honestly confessed all his actions to the court, admitted his guilt and promised to abandon the Viet Tan organization and not participate in any political organization to oppose the State in the future. The defendant really hopes to receive leniency from the Party and State…”.

The defendants in the dock

These words of apology were also repeated by the defendant at the trial with a repentant attitude. The defendant said that he had gone against the family tradition and the interests of his homeland and people, as written in the petition that the defendant sent to the Court of Appeal: “Dear Court of Appeal, in the past, my family also had a grandmother recognized as a Heroic Vietnamese Mother, an uncle who was a martyr fighting against the Americans to save the country, my father also participated in the resistance war against the Americans to save the country and has many medals and certificates of merit from the State, my brother was a volunteer soldier in Laos and was infected with Agent Orange, which now leaves sequelae for his two children.

The defendant himself was also an athlete and won many Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals in sports competitions. The defendant hopes that the court will consider this mitigating circumstance. Previously, the defendant's family was poor. Since finishing school, the defendant has worked hard to help his family escape poverty. However, since the defendant was detained, the family has fallen into poverty. Unfortunately, the defendant's wife has contracted a serious illness and has spent more than 100 million VND on treatment everywhere without being cured. The defendant's family has fallen into poverty and debt. The defendant is in prison, his wife is seriously ill, so the defendant's two young children have also fallen into a state of wandering around, without being cared for, raised, or educated.

Dear Court of Appeal, the defendant writes this petition only to express his remorse for his crimes and to promise to abandon the Viet Tan organization and not to participate in any political organization to oppose the government or the State in the future. It is also to ask the Court of Appeal to consider the particularly difficult circumstances of the defendant’s family and extend the leniency of the Party and the State to give the defendant a chance to rebuild his life, to return to take care of his sick wife and young children who are suffering from loneliness… The defendant and his family sincerely thank the Party and the State.”

At the appeal hearing, many people could not hold back their tears when the defendant Le Van Son burst into tears when he heard that his mother had passed away 4 months ago and his family had kept it from him. From his uncooperative attitude and his evasive denial of guilt at the first instance hearing, at this appeal hearing, Son clearly showed his remorse for his crime and confessed honestly to the Trial Council with the hope of receiving leniency and a reduced sentence so that he could soon return to apologize and burn incense for his mother - who had passed away in grief because of the rash actions of her only son. In his final words at the hearing, Son cried: “I have realized my mistake, regret my actions, my family only has a mother and a child, now I am in prison, my mother has passed away and there is no one to burn incense for her. I promise to never violate the law, I ask the court to give me leniency, to soon return to being a good citizen”.

Relatives of the defendants after the end of the trial

Defendant Ho Van Oanh, both his father and mother joined the army and had achievements in the resistance war against the US to save the country, and was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Provincial People's Committee. At the appeal hearing, Oanh also recognized his mistake and "regretted his actions, and hoped the court would consider leniency."

Although at the first instance trial, the defendants had enjoyed leniency under the law, at this appeal trial, with their sincere admission of guilt, the defendants Le Van Son, Nguyen Van Duyet, Nguyen Xuan Anh, and Ho Van Oanh continued to be granted mitigating circumstances by the court.

When given the final word at the trial, most of the defendants expressed remorse and hoped to be forgiven by their families and the people, and to be lenient with the law so that they could soon return to being useful people to society. The tears and words of repentance, though belated, were necessary and helped the defendants in this case get closer to home. However, for those defendants who were still evasive in denying their crimes, refusing to admit their actions of "assisting" the reactionary organization Viet Tan in carrying out their plot to cause social instability, undermine people's trust in the Party and the government, and violate the survival of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, such as Ho Duc Hoa and Nguyen Dinh Cuong, the court still upheld the original verdict. This demonstrates the strictness and leniency of the Party and the State, and the traditional morality of "beating those who run away, no one beats those who run back" of our nation. Because only enlightenment and sincere repentance can help those who have gone astray soon return to the righteous path in the flow of the nation.

NPV Law