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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: Appeal Court and Only Five Minutes Defense Time

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Abolqasem Salavati
"Hanging Judge" Abolqasem Salavati
NCRI - The trial of three Telegram activists was held on Wednesday August 2, 2017 in Tehran’s appeal court while they had only five minutes of defense.

These three activists were arrested on September 2016 and each one was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment.

Mohammad Mohajer, Alireza Tavakoli and Mohammad Mehdi Zamanzadeh, all were born in 1994, were sentenced to a total of 36 years imprisonment by Branch 15 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court presided by notorious judge Abolqasem Salavati.

The appeal court was held on August 2 after they objected the verdict of the revolutionary court. At the trial, which lasted about 5 minutes, Judge Babaii told three defendants and their attorneys that they would each write their defense and bill and send it to the court.

According to reports, the judge not only did not allow the lawyers of the defendants to speak, but during the court hearing told the three defendants: “You are apostate and anti-revolutionary, I wonder why you have not been executed until now!”

Mohammad Mohajer was born in 1994 and was arrested on September 10, 2016. He was transferred to Evin Prison on October 16, 2016, after about one month of interrogation.

Alireza Tavakoli, born in 1994, was arrested on August 2, 2016 and transferred to Ward 8 in Evin prison on January 26, 2016, following six months of interrogation.

Mohammad Mehdi Zamanzadeh, born in 1994, was arrested on September 3, 2016, and later transferred to Ward 8 in Evin prison on September 24, 2016.

Source: NCRI, August 4, 2017

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