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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.

Saudi beheads drug smuggler in 66th execution of year

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Saudi Arabia on Wednesday beheaded a convicted drug trafficker, the interior ministry announced, bringing to 66 the number of executions this year despite international concerns.

Mohammed bin Abd al-Ghani bin Hassan al-Khatir, a Saudi, "was caught smuggling a large quantity of drugs in the form of pills into the kingdom, inside his luggage," the official Saudi Press Agency said, citing the ministry.

The death sentence was carried out in the northern region of Jawf.

Since October 15, 6 Pakistanis have also been executed for drug trafficking.

The interior ministry says the government is battling narcotics "because of their great harm to individuals and society".

A United Nations independent expert called in September for an immediate moratorium on the death penalty in Saudi Arabia.

Source: Agence France-Presse, November 12, 2014
Location: Saudi Arabia
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