Seven imprisoned for disturbing public order in Bình Thuận

BÌNH THUẬN — Seven people were arrested yesterday in the central province of Bình Thuận on charges of disturbing public in front of the headquarters of the provincial People’s Committee the previous evening.

According to the indictment, Nguyễn Văn Hùng (born in 1992), Nguyễn Văn Mạnh (1994), Nguyễn Văn Minh (1966), Nguyễn Phương Đông (1994), Nguyễn Đình Vũ (1977), Nguyễn Minh Hải (2001) and Trần Thị Ngọc (1968) gathered in front of the headquarters and threw stones and petrol bombs at police officers in protest against a now-postponed controversial draft law on special economic zones.

The defendants were charged with “disturbing public order” by using weapons and assaulting people in charge of maintaining public order, as stipulated in the 2015 Penal Code.

The jury sentenced Mạnh, Hùng, Đông, and Minh to 30 months in prison each, while Vũ and Ngọc received 24 months. Hai was given an 18-month suspended sentence as he is still a minor.

Police are conducting further investigations into the people who financed the operation. — VNS