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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.

IRAN DELAYS YOUNG MAN'S EXECUTION AFTER EU APPEAL

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May 6, 2008: Iran's judiciary ordered a month's postponement of the execution of a young man sentenced to death for murder, a news agency said, two days after the European Union urged Tehran to spare his life.

Amnesty International said the execution of Behnoud Shojai, who the rights group said was 17 at the time of the crime three years ago, was planned for May 7. Iran's Fars News Agency did not mention the EU statement in its report, quoting a deputy public prosecutor in Tehran as saying the execution was postponed with the agreement of the victim's family.

Under Iran's Islamic law, sharia, the family of the victim can agree to pardon the murderer in exchange for "blood money", or financial compensation, but it was not clear whether this may happen in this case.

Source: Reuters, 06/05/2008
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