On Sept. 22, 2023, Vietnam executed wrongfully convicted Le Van Manh after he spent 18 years on death row. His case is important for two reasons: it exposed the flaws in Vietnam’s justice system and the state’s failure to secure convictions based on solid evidence. This is why his execution resonates and is a painful reminder of the need for accountability.
Le Van Manh was sentenced to death in 2005 for the rape and murder of a young woman, even though there was no physical evidence linking him to the crime. The prosecution’s case rested solely on a coerced confession – written in a letter to his father after his arrest for an unrelated crime. Manh later retracted the confession, claiming that police had tortured him into writing it. Despite this serious allegation, the courts moved forward with his conviction and eventual execution.
Even without the accusation of torture, Vietnam’s laws stipulate that a conviction cannot be based solely on a confession. Yet, in many cases, including those resulting in the death penalty, confessions – often obtained through force – are the only evidence presented. This troubling reality leaves many like Manh vulnerable to wrongful execution.
For 18 years, Manh languished in solitary confinement, trapped between the walls of a death row cell. During that time, the only constant in his life was the tireless fight of his family, especially his mother. She petitioned every government department, calling for his exoneration.
Her struggle did not end with his death. As she expressed with The Vietnamese Magazine shortly after his execution, she refused to let her son’s wrongful death go unanswered. She remains determined to expose the injustice he faced, continuing her battle for justice in his name and for other wrongfully convicted death row inmates, such as Nguyen Van Chuong and Ho Duy Hai.
Le Van Manh’s case raises larger, uncomfortable questions about Vietnam’s use of the death penalty. According to data collected by our magazine in 2023, more than 1,000 people in Vietnam were sentenced to death that year. How many of those cases, like Manh’s, were based solely on forced confessions? How many victims of police brutality and torture are currently on death row? And how many of those condemned prisoners lack the relentless support of a family like Manh’s to bring their cases to light?
These are the questions that demand answers. Yet, Vietnam remains opaque about its use of capital punishment. Official information on death sentences is classified as a “state secret,” making it nearly impossible for researchers, advocates, or journalists to access critical data. This lack of transparency raises severe concerns about the fairness of the justice system and the potential for further wrongful executions.
Le Van Manh’s execution is not just a tragic error; it is a symbol of the broader systemic issues that plague Vietnam’s legal system. His wrongful death is a call to action for greater transparency, reform, and accountability. If Vietnam continues to uphold the death penalty without addressing the flaws that led to cases like his, how many more men and women will die without justice?
Some of us at the magazine first learned about Le Van Manh’s case in October 2015, when the government notified his family that his execution was imminent. We collaborated with international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, to urge the Vietnamese government to stop the execution. Thanks to the international pressure at that time, Le Van Manh’s life was spared for nearly eight years. However, his fate took a tragic turn on September 22, 2023, when Vietnam executed him.
After his death, Manh’s family received his final letter, in which he asked his parents and children to continue fighting for his innocence. Even as he faced his ultimate fate, Le Van Manh maintained his innocence, pleading for justice. This is another reason why we should not forget that September 22 is Le Van Manh’s death anniversary until we clear his name and the state declares him innocent.
Manh’s story reminds us of the urgent need to challenge a system prioritizing convictions over truth and secrecy over accountability. His death must not be forgotten, and his mother’s ongoing fight should inspire us all to seek justice for those who remain voiceless on death row.
We must remember September 22, 2023.