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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.

Iran hangs 3

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Iran has hanged 3 convicted drug traffickers at a prison in the central city of Isfahan, the government-run newspaper Iran reported on Wednesday.

The men were identified as Qodrat, Khan Mohammad and Mostafa and all convicted separately of dealing and carrying narcotics, according to the report, which did not furnish more information.

The hangings bring to at least 270 the number of people executed in Iran so far this year, according to an AFP count based on news reports.

In 2008, Iran executed 246 people, the highest number in any country bar China.

Tehran says the death penalty is necessary for maintaining public security and is applied only after exhaustive judicial proceedings.

Murder, rape, armed robbery, drug trafficking and adultery are all punishable by death in the Islamic republic.

Sources: Sapa, AFP, December 30, 2009
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