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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.

IHR Warns About Possible Mass-Executions in Iran

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Iran Human Rights (IHR); February 1, 2020: At least 20 death-row prisoners have been transferred to the solitary confinement of Rajai-Shahr prison as a preparation for their execution. 

IHR urges the international community to react swiftly and properly to stop the mass executions.

Iran Human Rights (IHR) has received reports about transferring at least 20 death-row prisoners to the solitary confinement of Rajai-Shahr prison in Karaj city, near Tehran. IHR could confirm the names of seven of them. 

Given the possibility of the execution of 20 prisoners during the next few hours, IHR urges the international community and human rights defenders all around the world to react swiftly and properly to stop the mass executions.

Most of the death-row prisoners have been sentenced to qisas (retribution in kind) for murder charges. 

If they cannot win the plaintiffs’ consent, they will be executed on Wednesday. 

According to the Iranian Islamic Penal Code (IPC) murder is punishable by qisas which means “retribution in kind” or retaliation. 

In this way, the State effectively puts the responsibility of the death sentence for murder on the shoulders of the victim’s family. 

In qisas cases, the plaintiff has the possibility to forgive or demand diya (blood money). 

Last week, on Sunday, January 26, five prisoners were executed at the same prison. 

Recently, most of the executions are carried out on Sundays at Rajai-Shahr prisons.

Prisoner Hanged in Northern Iran


Iran Human Rights (IHR) February 1, 2020: A death-row prisoner was hanged at the northern Iranian city of Rasht on January 30, 2020. 

According to IHR sources, prisoner Mohsen Khojasteh (42) was hanged on Thursday, January 30, at the central prison of the northern Iranian city of Rasht. 

“He was sentenced to death three years ago for murdering his wife’s boyfriend with a firearm,” a well-informed source told IHR. 

In 2019, most of the executions in Iran were carried out for murder charges.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, February 1, 2020


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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
Location: Iran
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