The authorities of Viet Nam must immediately halt any plans to carry out the execution of a man whose case has been tainted by serious concerns of torture and violations of the right to a fair trial.

The family of Nguyen Van Chuong, a 40-year-old labourer from North Viet Nam, has raised the alarm over his possible execution after they were asked on 4 August to report within three days to the People's Court of Hai Phong City to make arrangements to receive Chuong’s remains. However, the family was not given information on the set date for the execution.

The case against him has been beset by disturbing allegations from day one, including that he was beaten and hung upside down during interrogation to force a “confession”. 

Chuong was convicted of robbery and the murder of a policeman in July 2007, alongside two others, and sentenced to death. Chuong denies the charges and said that he was subjected to torture and other ill-treatment while in police custody to make him “confess” to the murder. He alleges that he was stripped naked, hung and beaten during police interrogation. The authorities have reportedly denied his claims.

Additionally, state media reports have indicated that several people from his village were willing to testify that they saw him at the village at the time of the murder, 40 kilometres away from the crime scene. However, the Court relied primarily on the police's reports to convict him. Two of the witnesses from his village alleged they were physically abused by the police and threatened.

In 2011, the Procurator General of the Supreme People's Procuracy requested that the Supreme People's Court quash the appellate criminal judgement and commute his death sentence. However, in December 2011, the Supreme People's Court rejected the appeal.

The family of Chuong and his lawyer have not been informed of the set date of his execution, despite being clearly told that the execution order has been confirmed.

Data on the use of the death penalty remains classified in Viet Nam as a state secret. Reports of executions by media are rare, but Amnesty International believes that scores of executions continue to be carried out yearly. Torture and other ill-treatment are absolutely prohibited under international law but remain common practices by Viet Nam’s authorities. 

Add your name to the petition to halt Nguyen Van Chuong’s execution immediately, investigate the allegations of torture, and grant him a fair review of his case. In 2020, together we successfully pushed the Vietnamese authorities to have Ho Duy Hai’s death penalty suspended and an investigation into his case.  We can do the same for Chuong.