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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.

Indonesia: Execution looming for French national Serge Atlaoui

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French national Serge Atlaoui
President Joko Widodo of Indonesia rejected the clemency appeals of several foreigners sentenced to death for drug trafficking, including the appeal of French national Serge Atlaoui, who could be executed soon, the Jakarta Attorney-General's office aid.

The Attorney-General's office has received "official copies of the presidential decree dismissing the clemency appeals from eleven death row inmates," a spokesman for the attorney general said.

Among the eleven men and women in line for execution by firing squad are seven foreigners sentenced to death for drug trafficking, including French citizen Serge Atlaoui, he added.

The other foreigners come from countries including Australia, Brazil, Ghana, Nigeria and the Philippines.

Death penalty for drug traffickers

The Frenchman Atlaoui was arrested in 2005 in a secret laboratory producing ecstasy close to Jakarta and sentenced to death for drug trafficking.

Spokesman Tony Spontana stressed that the Attorney-General had already established a list of 11 death row inmates to be executed in the weeks to come, but he had not yet decided which prisoners would be put to death in the next round of executions. An announcement is expected shortly, he said.

Dozens of Indonesians and foreigners sentenced to death for drug cases are sitting on Indonesia's death row. Indonesia has some of the strictest anti-drugs laws in the world.

Six prisoners, including five foreigners, were executed by firing squad on January 18, which caused Brazil and the Netherlands to recall their ambassadors.

Source: RTL, January 30, 2015

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