Vietnam Puts 14 Dissidents on Trial for Subversion

Posted January 8th, 2013 at 9:10 am (UTC-5)
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Vietnamese authorities have put 14 dissidents on trial on charges of attempting to overthrow the nation's Communist government.

The defendants are accused of involvement with banned opposition group Viet Tan, which is based in the United States and labeled by Hanoi as a terrorist organization.

Defense lawyer Tran Thu Nam said the trial opened on Tuesday at a court in the northern Vietnamese province of Nghe An and was expected to be brief, with verdicts being handed down on Wednesday.

If convicted, the dissidents could face long prison terms or the death penalty.