Hanoi, Vietnam, Mar 28, 2009 / 10:20 am
After “highly spirited” protests and reports of Vietnamese authorities’ interference with their legal representation, a Hanoi appellate court on Friday rejected the appeal of eight Catholic parishioners convicted of disturbing public order and damaging property during demonstrations seeking the return of confiscated church land.
The charges against the defendants stemmed from protests at Thai Ha Church, where they joined hundreds of Catholic protesters seeking the return of 14 acres of church land confiscated by the Vietnamese government.
In December 2008 seven of the eight Catholics, who at the time ranged in age from 21 to 63, were convicted of damaging public property during the protests, while Marie Nguyen Thi Nhi was charged with causing a social disturbance for playing a gong and praying at Thai Ha. The property that was allegedly damaged by the Catholics reportedly amounted to around $200 in value.
Seven parishioners were given administrative probation of up to two years and suspended jail terms of 12 to 15 months, minus time already spent in custody. An eighth was given a warning.