FEATURED POST

Communist Vietnam's secret death penalty conveyor belt: How country trails only China and Iran for 'astonishing' number of executions

Image
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 denies moratorium on death penalty

One of Indonesia's most senior ministers has denied there will be a formal moratorium on executions in Indonesia.

Co-ordinating Minister for political, legal and security affairs Luhut Panjaitan had earlier on Thursday said there would not be any executions for the time being because Indonesia was focusing on its economy.

This prompted media reports that the Indonesian government had declared a moratorium on the death penalty.

However when asked by reporters if it was true Indonesia would stop executions, Mr Panjaitan said: "No, I told them we will not carry out executions for the time being because we are now focusing on the economy."

The softening economy, the international backlash and a desire to attract foreign investment have dampened talk of a further round of executions in the near future, although many prisoners remain on death row.

Indonesian Attorney-General Muhammad Prasetyo said in October that his office would not carry out a third round of executions of inmates until the country got out of the current economic slowdown.

"The Attorney-General's Office is currently helping the government in prioritising the economy," Mr Prasetyo told The Jakarta Post.

"We are still very busy with our economy," Mr Panjaitan said, when asked about executions at the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club last week.

14 people were executed by firing squad in Indonesia this year, including Bali 9 heroin smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald, November 19, 2015

- Report an error, an omission: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com - Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Most Viewed (Last 7 Days)

Communist Vietnam's secret death penalty conveyor belt: How country trails only China and Iran for 'astonishing' number of executions

Iran sentences popular rapper to death for supporting Mahsa Amini protests

Malaysia urged to extend moratorium on executions until full abolition of death penalty

Could Moscow attack suspects face execution in Belarus?

Iran | 9 prisoners executed in a single day

Punjab | Woman sentenced to death for kidnapping, burying toddler alive