Defendants in Dong Tam case ask for sentence reduction
Six defendants in the case of “murder” and “resisting on-duty officers” that happened in Hoanh village of Dong Tam commune in Hanoi’s My Duc district, asked for penalty reduction during an appeal trial held by the High-level People's Court in Hanoi on March 8.
Hanoi (VNA) – Six defendants in the case of “murder” and “resisting on-duty officers” that happened in Hoanh village of Dong Tam commune in Hanoi’s My Duc district, asked for penalty reductioꦫn during an appeal trial held by the High-level People's Cou♏rt in Hanoi on March 8.
The defendants lodging appeals consist of Le Dinh Cong, Le Dinh Chuc, Le Dinh Doanh, Bui Viet Hieu, Nguyen Quoc Tien, and Bui Thi Noi. At the first-instance trial held in September last year, the Hanoi People’s Court handed down penalties to 29 defendants. Found guilty of “murder”, Cong and Chuc were sentenced to death, Doanh life imprisonment, Hieu 16 years in prison, and Tien 13 years behind bars. With the same offence, Nguyen Van Tuyen received a penalty of 12 years in jail. Accused of “resisting on-duty officers”, 23 other defendants were given sentences of between 15 months’ probation to six years in prison. Among them, Bui Thi Noi was imprisoned for six years.
Cong, who was sentenced to death in the first-instance trial for masterminding the murder of public security officers and assigning tasks to other defendants, said that he was only guilty of resisting on-duty officers and asked the appeal court to lessen his sentence.
Meanwhile, Chuc, Doanh, Hieu and Tien also proposed the High-level People's Court in 📖Hanoi reduce sentences against them.🐎
Only defendant Noi disagreed with the trial court’s six-month sentence for “resisting on-duty officers” and asked the appeal court to reconsider it.
The six defendants accused of “murder” had closely colluded with others who were key members of a so-called “group of consensus” led by Le Dinh Kinh. Kinh was shot dead while holding a grenade and calling on others to resist on-duty officers.
Cong was the leader and often incited others to kill police officers by posting video clips and livestreaming on social networks. He also threatened to bomb power stations and kill 300-500 police officers, assigned tasks to other defendants, and actively performed these acts.
He also directed and contributed money to buy petrol and grenades, guided others how to make petrol bombs and tinder, and directly threw petrol bombs and grenades toward on-duty 𓃲officers./.
More than eight months after a serious incident causing public disorder in Dong Tam commune in Hanoi’s outskirt district of My Duc, the situation in the commune has returned to normal and local residents are joining in efforts to build new-style rural area, looking towards a bright future.
The week-long first-instance trial of suspects charged with “murder” or “resisting on-duty officers” over a deadly incident in Dong Tam commune in Hanoi’s My Duc district has concluded, with the majority of defendants accepting the sentences they were given.
Five people convicted in a case of disturbance that saw three police officers burnt to death in Dong Tam commune, Hanoi’s outskirt district of My Duc lodged appeals to the People’s Court of Hanoi, asking for clemency and penalty reduction.
The High-Level People’s Court in Hanoi on March 8 opened a trial for six defendants filing appeals in the case of “murder” and “resisting on-duty officers” that happened in Hoanh village of Dong Tam commune, Hanoi’s My Duc district, in January 2020.
As of June 17, Ca Mau province had achieved its target of supporting the construction and renovation of 4,400 homes, with a total budget of over 235 billion VND (about 9 million USD).
Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association (VJA) Le Quoc Minh has called for technology to be leveraged not to replace identity, but to enhance it—allowing Vietnamese journalism to reach both local and global audiences.
In recent years, with strong support from the Party and State, and building on its tradition as a heroic news agency, the VNA has not only actively participated in OANA but also proactively proposed various ideas for cooperation, helping shape a fresh image of effective media collaboration in the digital era, said VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang.
The education sector has been one of the foundations playing a vital role in deepening Vietnam – New Zealand ties, said Prof. Damon Salesa, Vice-Chancellor of the Auckland University of Technology (AUT).
Tien Giang province has addressed the housing needs of 608 poor, near-poor, and policy-beneficiary families facing housing difficulties. Of these, 370 houses were newly constructed while 238 underwent major renovations.
Dr Pham Minh Hung from the University of Economics and Business under Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said the fixed-term contract mechanism is a correct step, liberating the entire system from traditional constraints which have long stood in the way of innovation.
The partnership will focus on studying and recommending LRT routes that connect the city’s transport network with urban development zones, industrial parks, and TOD areas. The research will cover Thu Dau Mot city and surrounding areas, with completion scheduled before August 15, 2025.
Media must not only serve as a channel for information but also act as a vanguard in shaping public opinion, combating misinformation, upholding the Party’s ideological principles, and reinforcing unity between Vietnam and Laos.
In Vietnam, the voluntary blood donation movement was first launched on January 24, 1994. In 2008, the Prime Minister established the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation.
Currently, 20 Vietnamese citizens remain in Iran, including embassy staff and personnel. All are safe, mentally stable, and in regular contact with the embassy.
A VietnamPlus survey of 764 young people shows that 83.9% of Gen Z use smartphones to read news, only 12% use computers, and the rest access content via tablets.
GVB Startup 2025 attracted the participation of nearly 150 individuals and organisations from across Vietnam. The event seeks to promote bold and ambitious startup ideas and projects, contributing to the future of global innovation, and supporting startups through the provision of resources, networking opportunities, and market insights.
AI could not replace human judgment in verifying information and sensitive political events, and that humans remain the final gatekeepers of content, said Leonid Kovachich, head of the Asian department at Sputnik's international broadcasting division.
A veteran journalist of Argentina has praised the modern evolution of Vietnam’s press, which now serves a dual purpose: introducing Vietnam to the world while bringing global perspectives to domestic audiences.
The court announced that Quyet had submitted a written request to be tried in absentia, citing serious health issues. According to an official statement from Hospital 19/8, the defendant is suffering from multiple illnesses, experiencing fatigue and shortness of breath, with doctors warning of a “very high risk of death.”
A senior Party official highlighted the VNA’s consistent role over the past eight decades, noting that it remains a mainstream, uninterrupted, timely, accurate, and authoritative source of news that helps shape public opinion, strengthen public trust, and safeguard the ideological foundation of the Party.
Dr. Kobelev, born in 1938 in Ulyanovsk, was among the first Soviet scholars to specialise in Vietnam. As a former TASS correspondent during the war in Vietnam, he worked closely with Vietnamese institutions and later helped found Russia’s Centre for Vietnamese and ASEAN Studies.
Defendants at the court (Photo: VNA) 
