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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: Two prisoners hanged in Semnan prison

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NCRI - Two prisoners were hanged on Tuesday in the northern city of Semnan, the Iranian regime's judiciary in the province has said.

The two victims were identified by their first initials as M.Sh, and M.F.

The prisoners had been imprisoned and sentenced to death on drug related charges.

The report published on the judiciary website said they were hanged in the city's prison on Tuesday with the consent of the head of the judiciary.

The executions carried out after the United Nations said on Friday "the surge in the use of the death penalty that has dampened hopes for human rights reforms under President Hassan Rouhani."

"It appears at least in the past seven weeks that in fact executions have been scaled up," U.N. human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told a news briefing.

"We regret that the new government has not changed its approach to the death penalty and continues to impose capital punishment for a wide range of offences. We urge the government to immediately halt executions and to institute a moratorium."

Source: NCRI, Feb. 25, 2014
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