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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.

Indonesia: Death sentences a warning for drug traffickers in West Jakarta

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Indonesian courtroom (file photo)
Indonesian President Joko Widodo's tough on drugs stance and his resolve to push ahead with the execution of convicted drug smugglers is filtering down to the courts.

The West Jakarta District Court is leading the charge.

This week alone it sentenced 5 foreigners to death after the prosecutors demanded the highest penalty.

They include Li Fuzhang and Li Hezhang from China, who were convicted of smuggling 20 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine into Indonesia.

Toor Eng Tart, Ooi Swee Liew and Phang Hoon Ching from Malaysia received the same sentence this week for smuggling 51 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and 140,000 ecstasy pills.

Reda Mantovani was appointed to the chief prosecutor position in West Jakarta in 2015.

He said he demanded the death sentence for 25 defendants found guilty of drug crimes during his 1st year in the job.

"When I got this job, I saw the number of drug related crimes kept increasing in West Jakarta," Mr Mantovani said.

"The criminal law enables me to demand the highest penalty, which is death, and that is what I am doing."

In the past 12 months the West Jakarta District Court has dealt with 1,320 drug cases.

"Do not mess around with drugs in West Jakarta, you will get the death sentence," Mr Mantovani said.

The last round of executions of convicted drug smugglers took place in July this year, when 4 prisoners faced the firing squad at Nusakambangan prison.

10 prisoners - who had been due to be executed - where spared at the last minute, although the Indonesian Government never provided an explanation for why.

According to the Jakarta based Institute of Criminal Justice Reform, 17 prisoners had already been sentenced to death up until June this year.

"I am sure there are some people who do not like the fact that the death sentence has been handed down, especially human rights groups," Mr Mantovani said.

"But I am merely implementing the law and the way I see it there are more people that support me than are against me."

37 defendants were sentenced to death in 2015.

Source: abc.net.au, September 30, 2016

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Location: Jakarta, Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia
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