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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: Ten Hanged in Northern Iran; Young Death Row Prisoner Commits Suicide

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Iran Human Rights (DEC 24 2015): Eight men with alleged drug charges were reportedly hanged at Qazvin Central Prison on the morning of Tuesday December 23.

According to the press department of the Judiciary in the province of Qazvin, quoting the Public Prosecutor of Qazvin city, the prisoners are: M.Rahnama, 35 years old; M. Faryab, 38 years old; Haj Rafiee, 40 years old; A. Bagharzadeh, 33 years old; B. Chekanloo, 35 years old; S. Kalhor, 31 years old; A. Habibzadeh, 29 years old; and Gh. Moradi, 38 years old.

A day earlier at Qazvin Central Prison, Iranian authorities hanged "A. Fallah", a man accused of murder and sentenced to death.

Earlier in the month, 70 Iranian MPs presented a proposal to Parliament calling for an end to the death penalty for unarmed drug offenders.

Iran Human Rights (DEC 22 2015): On the morning of Monday December 21, a prisoner charged with murder was hanged at Amol Prison (in the province of Mazandaran) and one prisoner charged with murder was hanged at Qazvin Central Prison (in the province of Qazvin).

According to Iran state run news agency, Fars, the prisoner from Amol Prison is "Abbas A., 31 years old". The Judicial Department of Amol says the prisoner was 27 years old at the time of the murder and was jailed for four years before his execution. In a report by the Judicial Department in Qazvin, the prisoner from Qazvin Central Prison is "A. Fallah".

Iran Human Rights (DEC 22 2015): A prisoner by the name of Moslem Shojah Heydari, who was jailed and on death row for several years, reportedly committed suicide at Ghezel Hesar Prison on Sunday December 20.

According to close sources, Heydari was 26 years old and sentenced to death for drug charges. The close source says Iran's Supreme Court had recently confirmed Heydari's death sentence.

A prison mate of Heydari tells IHR: "Overcrowding at the prison, the stress of living in the shadow of death, and very tough prison conditions are some of the reasons why there has been an increase in the number of prisoners committing suicide at Ghezel Hesar Prison. In our ward alone, at least three or four people commit suicide each month by drinking a mixture of methamphetamine and water.

Source: Iran Human Rights, December 24-23, 2015

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