Special wedding of the prisoner of the century

(Baonghean.vn) - Sentenced to death, but after many times of sentence reduction and amnesty, prisoner of the century Dang Van The returned to the loving arms of his family. And then, happiness smiled upon him with everyone's blessings.

Special wedding

These past few days, the small house of Mr. Dang Van Suu and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thao in Hamlet 7, My Son Commune, Do Luong District has always been filled with laughter and chatter. Mr. Suu walks back and forth with a cane, shaking hands with this person, answering that person, a smile always on his lips. Mr. Suu is nearly 90 years old this year, but today is probably the happiest day of his life when his son, who seemed to have no chance of returning, has now gotten married.

The wedding of Mr. Dang Van The with his young wife. Photo: Nhu Binh

Mr. Suu's son is Dang Van The, who was sentenced to death for drug trafficking. After nearly 20 years in solitary confinement, in June 2016, The was pardoned by the President to return to his family and brothers. Something he never dreamed of. And what is even happier is that there is a girl who is willing to love and work hard, dare to overcome the rumors to come to him.

That girl is Dao Thi Hiep (born in 1984, in the next village). Although she is a local, when Hiep grew up, The was transferred from solitary confinement in one prison to another. Everyone in My Son (Do Luong) probably knows about The's past. Hiep is the same, but this girl put her past aside and decided to stick with him. "I think the future is what's important," Hiep confided on their wedding day.

Hearing that Thế was getting married, many people, neighbors, and relatives came to attend. Among them, there were many prison officers - those who had been close to him and encouraged him during his time in prison. Lieutenant Colonel Le Van Tai, former prison officer of the Provincial Police Detention Center, who gave Thế the cat Muong to keep him company during his first days in solitary confinement, was also present. Thế still called prison officer Tài “teacher” and addressed himself as “son”, always reserving gratitude and respect for him and the prison officers who had encouraged him during the years facing death.

“For more than 35 years as a prison guard, Dang Van The is a very special prisoner to me. To be able to be who he is today, I am truly happy. Everyone makes mistakes, the important thing is to learn from those mistakes and get up to live a better life,” the prison guard smiled gently.

Major Nguyen Van Quynh, an officer at Prison No. 6 (Ministry of Public Security), was also present to welcome the guests on his behalf. “The day The was transferred to Prison No. 6 to serve his life sentence, I realized that this was a special prisoner. The was obedient, obedient, able to do his job, and worked tirelessly until he was pardoned. The was a man of character and loyalty,” Major Quynh confided.

Many friends, brothers, and former prison guards came to celebrate with The and his wife. Photo: Nhu Binh

Faced with everyone's affection, Dang Van The said that he always felt indebted to many people and promised to live well, so as not to disappoint the trust and love that everyone had given him. With his wife, he did not dare promise to give her a rich and prosperous life, but he guaranteed to give her a peaceful life.

Prisoner of the Century

In the history of Vietnamese litigation, Dang Van The is one of the rare "death row inmates" because he spent 11 years "forgotten" in prison with a death sentence.

Dang Van The (born in 1975), is the youngest of six siblings in My Son commune, Do Luong district. His parents are farmers, working on the fields all year round to make a living. Dang Van The dropped out of school after 4th grade and applied to work as a busboy on the Vinh - Muong Xen route. In August 1997, following the advice of his friend Nguyen Tat Dung, The carried 20kg of opium from Tuong Duong district to Vinh city. When he arrived in Do Luong district, he was caught red-handed.

On June 23, 1998, the People's Court of Nghe An province opened a trial and sentenced The and Dung to death for "Illegal transportation of narcotics". Nguyen Tat Dung was taken to execution shortly after, and because The cooperated and confessed honestly, the Nghe An Provincial Police Department issued a document requesting a postponement of the execution to continue the investigation.

No one expected that the postponement would bring The back from the brink of death to a life of freedom. He was a death row inmate who had been through three generations of wardens and 10 prison officers. During all that time in solitary confinement, Dang Van The's only pleasure was writing a diary, writing poetry, and taking care of stray cats.

Mementos that Mr. The brought back during his time in prison. Photo: Ha Thu

As if by a miracle, in June 2009, Dang Van The was pardoned by the President from the death penalty to life imprisonment. The was “released from the shackles” and transferred to Prison No. 6 to serve his life sentence.

During his nearly 7 years in Prison No. 6, Dang Van The was a prisoner who received special attention from the Board of Supervisors and prison officers. Not only did he reform well, but The always participated as a leader in movement activities, especially competitions for prisoners. Therefore, it is not surprising that every year his name is on the list of reduced sentences.

Thanks to his tireless efforts in labor and rehabilitation, The was reduced to a fixed-term prison sentence and then released on parole in June 2016, ending 19 years of prison, including 11 years in solitary confinement. The has returned to his family, in the loving arms of his elderly parents and the community.

Happiness came late to Dang Van The, but he knew it was not a coincidence but the result of his efforts to correct his past mistakes. And he had enough faith and motivation to build a happy life with his young wife.

Nhu Binh - Nguyen Hung