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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.

Swiss bishop who said gays should be executed won't face hate crime charges

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Vitus Huonder, Catholic bishop of Chur, eastern Switzerland
Vitus Huonder, Catholic bishop of Chur, Switzerland
A Swiss bishop who called for the execution of gay people will not face hate crime charges.

Vitus Huonder, the Catholic bishop of Chur, eastern Switzerland, made the controversial comments earlier this year at the ‘Joy in Faith’ forum.

Quoting Leviticus, he said: “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

“These passages alone suffice to clarify unambiguously the church’s position on homosexuality.”

Swiss LGBT organisation the Pink Cross filed a criminal hate crime complaint about the “shocking” comments.

However, the group’s suit was dismissed last week, with a court ruling there was not enough evidence to pursue a charge.

In a statement, the Pink Cross said it would pursue an appeal against the decision.

Huonder has claimed his comments had been “misunderstood” and that calling for gay people to be put to death “wasn’t my intention”.

However, the bishop has made similar overtly anti-LGBT since his appointment in 2007.

Earlier this year he called for a priest in Switzerland to be sacked, after he blessed a lesbian couple.

Source: Pink News, Nick Duffy, October 13, 2015

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Location: Chur, Switzerland
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