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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.

New Zealander Peter Gardner facing death sentence for smuggling 30kgs of meth begins third year in Chinese jail

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Peter Gardner
Peter Gardner
A Kiwi facing the death penalty for attempting to smuggle 30 kilograms of methamphetamine out of China will begin his 3rd year in jail without knowing his fate.

And Peter Gardner will have to wait for at least another 3 months after the Chinese court deliberating his fate had extended his detention to 25 January 2017.

His lawyer Craig Tuck said Gardner was holding up as best as could be expected under the circumstances.

"There is no indication about how long this will continue or when a decision will be made.

"He is deeply grateful for the love and support of his family and friends. The situation is extremely difficult for his family and they seek to maintain their privacy until this matter is resolved."

Gardner, a Kiwi and Australian citizen, was stopped from boarding his Sydney-bound China Southern flight from Guangzhou in November with travelling companion Kalynda Davis, after customs officials detected 30 kilograms of the drug methamphetamine, also commonly known as ice, in their bags. With a rough street value of $20 million, it was the biggest single haul of the drug ever seized at the airport.

In May, Gardner told a court in Guangzhou that he had been duped into being a drug mule by a sophisticated international smuggling syndicate.

"This is the biggest mistake of my life."

Gardner thought he was performance-enhancing peptides used by athletes.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman said consular staff continued to visit Gardner regularly.

"Consular staff from the New Zealand Consulate-General in Guangzhou continue to provide advice to Mr Gardner and his family, and regularly visit to check on his well-being. Consular officials most recently visited Mr Gardner earlier this week."

He was detained on November 8, 2014, and for most of the past two years, he has shared a small cell with 20 other foreigners. Former prisoners have said the lights are kept on for 24 hours, no running water, and prisoners are fed 2 small portions of rice each day.

According to figures released earlier this year, there are an estimated 800 Kiwis in foreign prisons around the world.

Source: stuff.co.nz, October 30, 2016

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