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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.

Belarus hands down first death penalty this year

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MINSK, April 30 (RAPSI) - A Belarusian court has handed down the first death penalty this year, the Mogilyov Prosecutor's Office said in a statement on Tuesday.

Belarus remains the only European country that still uses the death penalty and repeatedly comes under harsh criticism from international organizations.

The two men were convicted of murdering their cellmate in prison while serving their sentences for previous crimes. One of them was cumulatively sentenced to execution for all of his crimes, and the other was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

The prosecutors described the individual sentenced to death as an "extremely negative person" and highly dangerous as well. The cellmate who he recently murdered was his fourth victim. His previous crimes also qualified as grave.

"This individual is highly dangerous even when kept in isolation," the statement said. "It is impossible to rehabilitate him through a long or even life imprisonment. In this case, the death penalty is justified."

Source: RAPSI, April 30, 2013
Location: Belarus
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