‘Twelve Presidents Have Come and Gone’: A Father’s 20-Year Fight to Prove Nguyễn Văn Chưởng’s Innocence

In recent months, Nguyễn Trường Chinh has divided his time between Bạch Mai Hospital and Hà Nội Medical University Hospital. He is caring for his critically ill granddaughter while continuing to seek exoneration for his son, Nguyễn Văn Chưởng, a wrongfully convicted death row prisoner. [1]

Sentenced to death in 2007, Nguyễn Văn Chưởng’s case remains deeply contested. His family and lawyers argue that the investigation, prosecution, and trial exhibited multiple procedural violations and failed to adequately consider evidence supporting his alibi.

Despite receiving no clear responses, Chinh continues to send appeals every month. “There have been 12 now. Twelve presidents …” Chinh said, referring to the number of administrations he has submitted petitions under.

In early 2026, Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hải—Chưởng’s daughter—became critically ill. [2] Elderly and in declining health himself, Chinh is now forced to care for his granddaughter, find ways to cover overwhelming medical bills, and relentlessly expose the irregularities in his son’s case.

Luật Khoa Magazine interviewed Nguyễn Trường Chinh on Aug. 8, 2026.

---

Reporter: Since Nguyễn Văn Chưởng was sentenced to death in 2007, where have you submitted petitions asserting his innocence?

Nguyễn Trường Chinh: I have sent them to many individuals and organizations. But there are four places that still receive my petitions every month: the National Assembly’s Judicial Committee, the president, the Supreme People’s Court, and the Supreme People’s Procuracy.

Reporter: Have any government agencies responded?

Nguyễn Trường Chinh: At around 2016 or 2017, I received an invitation to meet with Lê Minh Trí at the Supreme People’s Procuracy. Security was extremely tight that day; I was searched upon entry and prohibited from bringing my phone. 

When we met, he told me clearly: 

“It is not yet clear whether the case is a wrongful conviction. But the Supreme People’s Procuracy has already lodged the Cassation Protest No. 09 in the case of death row prisoner Nguyễn Văn Chưởng. We lodged a cassation protest, but the court rejected it. From now on, if you continue sending petitions to the Supreme People’s Procuracy, it is not that we are avoiding responsibility. We simply cannot resolve anything further. We have done everything we can and have already lodged a protest. Even if you continue sending petitions, we cannot help you.”

I agreed with him and stopped sending petitions to his office, redirecting them elsewhere. A few months later, however, I began sending complaints to Department 7. I no longer submitted petitions seeking exoneration; instead, I filed formal complaints. My first complaint accused authorities of arresting my son without clear grounds, and I have continued filing it ever since.

Reporter: In 2023, the Hải Phòng People’s Court sent your family a notice asking you to apply to receive Chưởng’s body or ashes. What did you do?

Nguyễn Trường Chinh: The notice reached me at 3 p.m. on a Friday. It stated that if the family did not respond within three days, any later application to receive his body or ashes would become invalid, and the sentence would be carried out. [3]

I said it was a dirty trick by the Hải Phòng court and the Hải Phòng police. By sending the notice on a Friday afternoon, the deadline expired on Monday. They knew we were seeking exoneration, so they deliberately gave us a three-day window over the weekend when no government agencies work. They used this maneuver to prevent us from appealing anywhere. They knew that if I could not file an appeal, they would execute my son. That was how cunning and despicable they were.

Reporter: Were you ultimately able to submit a response before the deadline?

Nguyễn Trường Chinh: I wrote the petition that day, but I had not been able to type it. Journalist Nguyễn Đức, deputy Lưu Bình Nhưỡng of the National Assembly, Dr. Nguyễn Xuân Diện, and several retired military colonels had also raised the matter with the Presidential Office. They told me to send the petition to them.

When I explained that I had only just finished handwriting it and had not typed it, Dr. Nguyễn Xuân Diện said: “Just sign and date it.” 

After I agreed, Diện said: “Then please send me a copy.”

I sent copies to Diện, journalist Nguyễn Đức, Lưu Bình Nhưỡng, the colonels, and others concerned about Nguyễn Văn Chưởng’s case.

At 10 p.m., Dr. Nguyễn Xuân Diện called me and said, “You can rest easy. Võ Văn Thưởng has received your petition. He received it at 9:40 p.m.”

Shortly after, journalist Nguyễn Đức called as well and said: “You can rest easy. The president received your petition at 9:40 p.m. and responded that the case would be reviewed. We also captured a screenshot of that message. So please don’t worry.”

—

Reporter: Did Võ Văn Thưởng merely make a promise, or was there a clear written document?

Nguyễn Trường Chinh: There was no written document, and without one, my family could not feel reassured. I went to the Presidential Office several times to ask for a written decision staying Nguyễn Văn Chưởng’s execution.

I even brought banners to the presidential offices on Nguyễn Hoàng and Mai Xuân Thưởng streets. In the mornings, I displayed banners reading, “Free Nguyễn Văn Chưởng” and “Nguyễn Văn Chưởng Is About to Be Wrongfully Executed.” In the afternoons, however, I dressed normally and went to the central public reception office of the Party and state.

When I demanded a written response confirming the stay of execution, officials told me that the court, not the president, would hold any such document. They explained that the Presidential Office was not responsible for providing a direct response to a death row prisoner or his family; they only issue a stay and send it to the relevant judicial authorities.

I could accept that explanation, so I stopped demanding the document after several days of asking. They advised me that if I wanted more information, I should ask the Hải Phòng court or the Supreme People’s Court.

I went to the Supreme People’s Court twice, but officials there said that they could not answer at that time and were arranging a schedule to provide a response, so I eventually stopped going. 

I did not go to the Hải Phòng court. The authorities in Hải Phòng have repeatedly oppressed my family. They want to kill him quickly to eliminate this loose end. I appealed only to the chief justice of the Supreme People’s Court.

—

Reporter: Do you know whether the Presidential Office sent a document to the court?

Nguyễn Trường Chinh: Officials explained that if the Presidential Office had not issued a direct order to postpone the execution, the sentence certainly would have been carried out by now. However, as they stated, the Presidential Office cannot issue a document directly to the family or the death row prisoner to confirm this.

Reporter: What are Nguyễn Văn Chưởng’s current conditions in prison? Has the prison placed him under any pressure?

Nguyễn Trường Chinh: In 2015 and 2016, they pressured Chưởng to request a reduced sentence and seek clemency from the death penalty, but they stopped asking him to submit such requests in 2017. Since 2023, his conditions in prison have become much less restrictive, with a noticeable decrease in pressure, harassment, and danger.

Mentally, Chưởng feels reassured and believes he will continue this fight alongside us until the end. He is calmer now, but he remains ready to fight. I always tell him to inform me immediately if anything changes. But he says, “Nothing is happening. They no longer pressure me. I do not sign anything involving paperwork, and they do not say anything about it.”

Chưởng’s life in prison has been generally more bearable since 2023.

—

Reporter: When was the family’s most recent visit to the prison?

Nguyễn Trường Chinh: On July 5, we met with the prison administration. I brought medical documents from Bạch Mai Hospital to explain that Nguyễn Văn Chưởng’s daughter was in critical condition. I wanted the prison to take action so Chưởng could see his daughter, or at least facilitate a visit between them.

However, officials stated that they could only follow the rules set by the Prison Management Department and could not make any exceptions. They asked for our understanding, adding that they have always tried to ensure Chưởng has stable and improving conditions, noting that they have been more open since 2023.

All we could do was inform them of the situation. Once they gave us that answer, we had no choice but to return home. What else could we do?

Reporter: Does Chưởng know that his daughter is ill?

Nguyễn Trường Chinh: On my previous visit with his sister, I did not say anything. On the following visit on July 26, my wife went with my other granddaughter. My wife did not mention telling him, so I believe they are still keeping the illness a secret from him.

To be honest, telling him now would not solve anything; it would only add to his burdens. One day in prison feels like a thousand days outside. The less we can make him worry and the more peace of mind we can give him, the better.

So I told my wife, “If a lie helps, then tell him the lie.”

---

Thúc Kháng wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on August 24, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine translated it into English.