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Communist Vietnam's secret death penalty conveyor belt: How country trails only China and Iran for 'astonishing' number of executions

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Prisoners are dragged from their cells at 4am without warning to be given a lethal injection Vietnam's use of the death penalty has been thrust into the spotlight after a real estate tycoon was on Thursday sentenced to be executed in one of the biggest corruption cases in the country's history. Truong My Lan, a businesswoman who chaired a sprawling company that developed luxury apartments, hotels, offices and shopping malls, was arrested in 2022.

Vietnam to produce own drugs for executions

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Firing squad execution
in Vietnam
Vietnam says it is to begin producing home-grown poisons to be used in the execution of prisoners.

The move comes after overseas producers refused to export the drugs which are legally required for lethal injections.

More than 500 people are on death row in Vietnam for crimes including drug trafficking, rape and corruption.

The country stopped using firing squads for executions in 2011, citing the rising cost, a lack of suitable grounds and the stress caused to executioners.

The authorities have installed the equipment for carrying out lethal injections and trained staff to use it, but have been unable to buy the three-stage drugs which are required by law.

The supplier would be the EU, but it strictly controls the export of any drugs which could be used for capital punishment, torture or inhuman treatment.

Vietnam's Minister for Public Security Tran Dai Quang said legal amendments would be being introduced to allow for domestic poisons to be used, rather than those stipulated by law.

He gave no details about the nature of the new drugs.

Some members of the Vietnamese government have proposed a return to firing squads to deal with the build-up of death row inmates.

One member is reported to have suggested that the death penalty be reserved for only the most serious crimes.

Source: BBC News, January 23, 2013

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