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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.

Bangladesh Supreme Court upholds Kamaruzzaman's death penalty

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The Supreme Court has upheld the death penalty of condemned war criminal Muhammad Kamaruzzaman for killing 144 villagers at Sohagpur village in Sherpur during the 1971 Liberation War.

A 4-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha passed the order rejecting Kamaruzzaman's review petition on Monday morning.

Kamaruzzaman's lawyer Shishir Monir said: "We have filed a petition with the jail authorities to meet Kamaruzzaman. After the meeting, we will decide our next step regarding the matter."

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said: "Kamaruzzaman can file a mercy petition with President Md Abdul Hamid admitting the crimes. The government will decide about his execution after disposal of the petition."

Kamaruzzaman's lawyers filed the petition on March 5 seeking review of the death penalty upheld by the Appellate Division on November 3 last year.

The International Crimes Tribunal 2 had sentenced the al-Badr leader to death on May 9, 2013 for committing crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

He is the 2nd war crimes convict to file a review petition with the top court. Another Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Molla was executed on December 12, 2013.

The full text of the Appellate Division judgment was released on February 18 and the International Crimes Tribunal the following day issued a warrant to execute the death sentence.

On November 3, 2014, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld the tribunal verdict that had awarded death sentence to the Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretary general for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.

Kamaruzzaman was shifted to Dhaka Central Jail from Kashimpur Jail in Gazipur after the SC upheld his death penalty.

Source: Dhaka Tribune, April 6, 2015


Verdict to be executed soon: Law minister

The Supreme Court verdict upholding the death penalty of war criminal Muhammad Kamaruzzaman will be executed at the earliest possible time on completion of the remaining formalities, the law minister said today.

Before execution of the judgement, Kamaruzzaman will be given the opportunity to seek presidential mercy, Anisul Huq told The Daily Star after the apex court rejected his review petition filed against its verdict that upheld his death penalty.

The prison authorities will ask him whether he will seek the mercy, the minister said.

If Kamaruzzaman does not seek mercy, the prison authorities will decide the next procedure, he added.

"I am satisfied over the SC judgement as justice has finally been delivered," Huq said.

Source: The Daily Star, April 6, 2015

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