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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.

Ruddock lobbying to save Bali trio from death row

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Former attorney-general Philip Ruddock has been quietly lobbying Indonesia on behalf of the three Australian drug smugglers sentenced to death in Bali.

Mr Ruddock visited Jakarta earlier this month as a member of an Australian parliamentary delegation.

He took the opportunity to raise the matter in meetings with a number of Indonesian politicians, including Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda, The Australian reports.

Mr Ruddock declined to comment yesterday on his discussions with the politicians.

"As a member of Amnesty International, I've never supported the death penalty, but in terms of any representations regarding particular individuals, I have no comment to make," he told The Australian.

Australian drug smugglers Scott Rush, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan remain on death row in Bali.
All members of the Bali Nine smuggling ring have been incarcerated in Bali's Kerobokan prison.

Their supporters are concerned by the recent acceleration in the rate of executions in Indonesia and the news that the Bali bombers will soon be put to death.

Source: AAP

Picture: Convicted drug smuggler Scott Rush is on death row in Bali. (AAP)
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