2018 | Last known execution |
Lethal Injection, Shooting | Method(s) of execution |
No | Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights |
No | Party to the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty |
Not applicable | Party to the American Convention on Human Rights |
Not applicable | Party to the Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights to Abolish the Death Penalty |
No | UN Moratorium Resolution (2010): cosponsor |
Abstained | UN Moratorium Resolution (2010): vote |
No | UN Moratorium Resolution (2010): has signed the Note Verbale of Dissociation |
No | UN Moratorium Resolution (2012): cosponsor |
Abstained | UN Moratorium Resolution (2012): vote |
No | UN Moratorium Resolution (2012): has signed the Note Verbale of Dissociation |
No | Does the country have a mandatory death penalty? |
2023-05-23 | Last update |
Source: Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide
*Source of classification: Amnesty International
Related document(s)
Document(s)
The Death Penalty for Drug Offences: Global Overview 2022
on 24 March 2023
2023
NGO report
China
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Drug Offenses
Indonesia
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Malaysia
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Viet Nam
More details See the document
Harm Reduction International has monitored the use of the death penalty for drug offences worldwide since our first ground-breaking publication on this issue in 2007. This report, our twelfth on the subject, continues our work of providing regular updates on legislative, policy and practical developments related to the use of capital punishment for drug offences, a practice which is a clear violation of international standards. As of December 2022, Harm Reduction International (HRI) recorded at least 285 executions for drug offences globally during the year, a 118% increase from 2021, and an 850% increase from 2020. Executions for drug offences are confirmed or assumed to have taken place in six countries: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, plus in China, North Korea and Vietnam – on which exact figures cannot be provided because of extreme opacity. Therefore, this figure is likely to reflect only a percentage of all drug-related executions worldwide. Confirmed death sentences for drug offences were also on the rise; with at least 303 people sentenced to death in 18 countries. This marks a 28% increase from 2021.
- Document type NGO report
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- Themes list Drug Offenses
Document(s)
The Clemency Process in East and Southeast Asia
on 22 March 2022
2022
NGO report
China
Clemency
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Singapore
Taiwan
Thailand
Viet Nam
More details Download [ - 0 Ko ]
In this report, we summarise the current international position on clemency and the death penalty and compare it to snapshots of the clemency processes in the following Southeast and East Asian countries: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan, and China. All references to clemency in this paper are in the context of reprieve from the death penalty.
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Document(s)
Viêt Namese : Khả năng của Việt Nam gia nhập Nghị định thư tùy chọn thứ hai về bãi bỏ hình phạt tử hình theo Công ước quốc tế về các quyền dân sự và chính trị (ICCPR)
By European Union / United Nations Development Programme / Nguyen Thi Thanh Hai / Nguyen Van Hoan / Nguyen Minh Khue, on 8 September 2020
2020
NGO report
Viet Nam
enMore details See the document
Nghiên cứu này nhằm đánh giá khả năng Việt Nam phê chuẩn Nghị định thư không bắt buộc thứ hai đối với Công ước quốc tế về các quyền dân sự và chính trị (ICCPR) nhằm xóa bỏ án tử hình. Nó phân tích: (a) khung pháp lý quốc tế hiện hành và quá trình phát triển pháp lý để xóa bỏ án tử hình ở các quốc gia được chọn, (b) sự tương thích giữa các quy định hiện hành về án tử hình trong hệ thống pháp luật Việt Nam và Nghị định thư tùy chọn thứ hai của ICCPR và (c) đánh giá tính khả thi để bãi bỏ án tử hình ở Việt Nam.
- Document type NGO report
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Document(s)
Vietnam: From “Vision” to Facts: Human Rights in Vietnam under its Chairmanship of ASEAN
By Vietnam Committee on Human Rights / International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) / Quê Me: Action for Democracy in Vietnam, on 8 September 2020
NGO report
Viet Nam
More details See the document
The use of the death penalty is frequent in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. In 2009, the government reduced the number of offences punishable by death from 29 to 22. Capital punishment is applied for crimes including murder, armed robbery, drug trafficking, rape, sexual abuse of children, and a range of economic crimes. Execution is by firing squad. A draft law was introduced in November 2009 proposing the use of two methods of execution, either by firing squad or by lethal injection. Statistics on the number of death sentences and executions are not made public. Indeed, following criticisms by international human rights organisations, in January 2004, Vietnam adopted a decree classifying death penalty statistics as “state secrets”. According to the Vietnamese and international press, at least 100 people are executed each year in Vietnam. In 2007, 104 death sentences were pronounced, including 14 women. In 2010, the official legal magazine Phap Luat (Law) reported 11 death sentences for the month of January alone.
- Document type NGO report
- Countries list Viet Nam
- Themes list Death Row Conditions, Firing Squad,
Document(s)
The Death Penalty in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – Special edition for the 4th World Congress Against the Death Penalty
By Vietnam Committee on Human Rights / International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), on 8 September 2020
NGO report
Viet Nam
More details See the document
The use of the death penalty is frequent in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV). Capital punishment is applied for 22 offences, including murder, armed robbery, drug trafficking, rape, sexual abuse of children, and a range of economic crimes, such as graft and corruption, fraud and embezzlement (for 500 million dong – $33,200 – or more of state property), illegal production and trade of food, foodstuffs and medicines. Seven political acts perceived as “threats against national security” carry the death penalty as a maximum sentence. Capital punishment is most often used to sanction drug-related offences, followed by corruption, black-market and violent crimes. Vietnam has some of the harshest drug laws in the world. A 1997 law made possession or smuggling of 100g or more of heroin, or 5 kilograms or more of opium, punishable by death. In 2001, 55 sentences were pronounced for drug trafficking alone.
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Document(s)
Socialist Republic of Viet Nam: The death penalty – inhumane and Ineffective
By Amnesty International, on 8 September 2020
NGO report
Viet Nam
fresMore details See the document
Amnesty International is alarmed by the recent dramatic rise in the reported imposition of the death penalty in Viet Nam, particularly for drugs-related offences and other economic crimes. It believes that the continuing use of the death penalty in Viet Nam is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and a breach of the right to life and that the conditions surrounding its imposition in Viet Nam are in contravention of international human rights standards. In this report Amnesty is calling on the Vietnamese Government to immediately establish a moratorium on all executions, while taking steps towards total abolition of the death penalty in accordance with international standards and United Nations recommendations.
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- Countries list Viet Nam
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Document(s)
Socialist Republic of Viet Nam: The death penalty – recent developments
By Amnesty International, on 8 September 2020
NGO report
Viet Nam
More details See the document
This document contains information about the recent developments in Vietm Nam regarding the death penalty. Amnesty International welcomes the reduction in the number of offenses punishable by the death penalty. However, the organization remains concerned that there is still a broad range of offenses which are punishable by the death penalty.
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