Nguoi Viet, News Report, Posted: Jan 09, 2013

According to the Vietnamese Redemptorist website, police arrested and assaulted many people when they flocked to attend the trial of 14 Vietnamese patriots.

According to state media, this is "the trial of criminal cases with 14 defendants respectively Ho Duc Hoa, Nong Hung, Le Van Son, Dang Ngoc Minh, Nguyen Dang Minh Man, Vinh Phuc Nguyen Dang, Dang Xuan Dieu, Nguyen Van Oai, Nguyen Van Browse, Ho Van Oanh, Thai Van Dung, Nguyen Dinh Luong Nguyen Xuan Anh, Tran Minh Nhat."

These 14 people were accused of activities related to Viet Tan, an exile Vietnamese political party based in the United States.

Nghe An province newspapers cited that the: "14 defendants have several times traveled abroad to attend training in non 'violence resistance provided by 'Viet Tan' and participants admitted to be members of the 'Viet Tan' organization."
 

According to the Vietnamese Redemptorist website who interviewed the relatives of the accused, participants from inside the court were not allowed to speak up to defend for themselves. "Defendants were required only to answer 'yes' or 'no'" 

Le Van So received the severest sentencing: 15 to 16 years in prison and five years of probation, followed by Dang Xuan Dieu who received 13 to 14 years in prison, and 5 years probation. Ho Duc Hoa was given 12 to 13 years in prison, and five years of probation and Nguyen Dang Minh Man was sentenced to 9 to 10 years in prison. Seven other defendents were given 5 to 6 years in prison, and four years of probation; and the remaining three people received 3 to 4 years in prison and three years of probation.