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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.

Grave Concern Over Possible Secret Executions of 5 Iranian Protesters

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Iran executions
Iran Human Rights (IHR); July 29, 2020: According to the relatives of the five protesters arrested at the December 2017/January 2018 nationwide protests, who are being held at Isfahan Central Prison, they have not had any contact with their loved ones. 

The securitisation of the city of Nikbakht in Isfahan (home to the five protesters) and the statements of some officials in conversation with their families are of grave concern that they may have been secretly executed.

Iran Human Rights (IHR) calls on the international community once more, to react immediately before it is too late, to prevent the execution of these five protesters.

Informed sources have told IHR that as of yesterday, Mehdi Salehi Ghaleh Shahrokhi, Mohammad Bastami, Majid Nazari Kondari, Hadi Kiani and Abbas Mohammadi have not had any contact with their families and what officials have told their families gives reason to believe that they will be executed within hours. 

The securitisation of the city of Nikbakht in Isfahan has doubled the families’ fears.

On Monday, 27 July, following IHR’s revelation that the Supreme Court had upheld the death sentences of the five protesters, judiciary officials were quick to issue a denial. 

Meanwhile, documents obtained by IHR show that the five men’s death sentences, who are co-defendants with eight other people in the case, were upheld by the Supreme Court.

IHR Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam had previously said: “In addition to the inhumanity of the death penalty itself, we condemn the use of executions as a means of repressing protesters and creating fear in society. We call on the international community to put pressure on the Iranian authorities to stop these executions.” Referring to the unprecedented mass “don’t execute” hashtag campaign, which was started by social media users, Amiry-Moghaddam also stressed the need for collective action to echo the voice of the protesters to the world.

Source: Iran Human Rights, Staff, July 29, 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: Isfahan, Isfahan Province, Iran
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