Vietnam
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · Since 1997, possession or smuggling at least 100g or...
- News items in the archive
- 784
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Vietnam is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 784 news items on Vietnam, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- NOVEMBER 29, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
the Hanoi firing squad executed 31-year-old Ngo Thanh Lam for embezzling...
the Hanoi firing squad executed 31-year-old Ngo Thanh Lam for embezzling more than US$4.6 million while he worked for a bank in 2003.
- NOVEMBER 18, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. MAN EXECUTED FOR ZOO MURDER
Do Cong Toan, a hired assassin, was executed in Vietnam by a Ho Chi Minh city firing squad for the slashing to death Dang Vu Thang, the deputy chief of the HCM city zoo’s accounting department, in August 2001.
- NOVEMBER 5, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
Vietnam applies the death penalty for 29 different crimes.
Vietnam applies the death penalty for 29 different crimes.
- NOVEMBER 1, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. NGUYEN VAN THO SENTENCED TO DEATH
a court in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, handed down a death sentence to Nguyen Van Tho, alias Captain Tho for his involvement in killing a policeman named Phan Le Son and another man named Ho Phuoc Hung.
- OCTOBER 28, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. APPEAL COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCES ON VIETNAM'S LARGEST DRUG CASE
an appeal court in the Vietnamese midland province of Phu Tho upheld death sentences to six defendants and life sentences to eight others in Vietnam's largest drug case...
- SEPTEMBER 30, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. TWO DRUG TRAFFICKERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
the People's Court of northern Phu Tho province, Vietnam, sentenced to death two women for trafficking and possessing drugs.
- SEPTEMBER 20, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. TWO DRUG TRAFFICKERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
the People's Court of northern Phu Tho province, Vietnam, sentenced to death two women for trafficking and possessing drugs.
- AUGUST 25, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. TWO MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN HCM CITY FOR TRAFFICKING
the Ho Chi Minh City Appeal Court, Vietnam, upheld a death sentence to a convicted drug trafficker and raised from life imprisonment given to another to the death penalty.
- AUGUST 23, 2005AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. PRESIDENT COMMUTES AUSTRALIAN'S DEATH SENTENCE FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Vietnam's President Tran Duc Luong commuted to life imprisonment a death sentence handed to Tran Van Thanh for drug trafficking.
- AUGUST 19, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
a Vietnam court sentenced Chang Yuchia, 20, a Chinese national, to death for drug trafficking
a Vietnam court sentenced Chang Yuchia, 20, a Chinese national, to death for drug trafficking
- AUGUST 18, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
Nguyen Khac Diep, 23, was executed in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Nguyen Khac Diep, 23, was executed in Hanoi, Vietnam.
- AUGUST 18, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
Duong Van Hung, 37, was executed in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Duong Van Hung, 37, was executed in Hanoi, Vietnam.
- AUGUST 17, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
Nguyen Le Duy Linh, 32, was executed for murder in Vietnam’s southern Long An province.
- AUGUST 16, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. TWO MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
Tran Van Binh, 48, was put to death for murder in the northern Vietnamese port city of Hai Phong.
- AUGUST 11, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. JUSTICE MINISTRY PROPOSES LETHAL INJECTION AS ADDITIONAL EXECUTION METHOD
Vietnam’s justice ministry introduced a draft legislation proposing lethal injection as an alternative method of executing death sentences. The ministry said lethal injection would help relieve executioners of the psychological pressure they suffered whil
- AUGUST 3, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
five men sentenced to death for drug trafficking, murder and robbery were executed by firing squad
five men sentenced to death for drug trafficking, murder and robbery were executed by firing squad
- JULY 29, 2005AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER APPEALS TO VIETNAM FOR CLEMENCY FOR AUSTRALIANS ON DEATH ROW
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he had appealed to Vietnam for clemency for two Australians facing the death penalty for drug smuggling.
- JULY 12, 2005AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. AUSTRALIAN DEATH-ROW CONVICT LOSES DEATH PENALTY APPEAL
a 45-year-old Australian of Vietnamese origin has lost his appeal against his death sentence for trafficking heroin in Vietnam, state media say.
- JUNE 22, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. LETHAL INJECTION PROPOSED AS EXECUTION METHOD
Vietnam's justice ministry has proposed legislation introducing lethal injections as an alternative method of carrying out death sentences, a ministry official said.
- JUNE 21, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. DRUG TRAFFICKERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
the People's Court in the northern province of Hoa Binh has sentenced four people involved in the largest drug trafficking ring in the province to death.
- JUNE 20, 2005ThailandDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. TAIWANESE NATIONAL SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING WIFE
Chen Kun Sung, a Taiwanese national was sentenced to death for killing his wife. It was alleged that Chen, 69, used a hammer and a knife to kill his 28-year-old Vietnamese wife after he became jealous while listening to her talking on the telephone with a
- JUNE 10, 2005AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
AUSTRALIA. GOVERNMENT TO PLEAD FOR DRUG SMUGGLER FACING FIRING SQUAD IN VIETNAM
the Australian federal government said it would plead for the life of Mai Cong Thanh, an Australian sentenced to death in Vietnam for conspiring to smuggle heroin.
- JUNE 9, 2005AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. AUSTRALIAN-VIETNAMESE RECEIVES DEATH SENTENCE FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
a Vietnam court has sentenced a 46-year-old Australian of Vietnamese origin to death by firing squad for attempting to send heroin stuffed in loudspeakers to Australia, the state-run Voice of Vietnam radio said.
- MAY 26, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. SIXTEEN DEATH SENTENCES UPHELD IN COUNTRY’S BIGGEST DRUGS CASE
sixteen people failed in their appeal against death sentences in Vietnam's biggest drug trafficking case, a court official in Ho Chi Minh City said.
- APRIL 29, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. BUSINESSMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH ON HEROIN CHARGES
former director of the Trans-Continent Company, Phan Trieu Phu, was sentenced to death in Vietnam on charges of "trafficking illegal drugs".
- APRIL 27, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
Vietnam. Five to face firing squad for drug smuggling
five people, including a woman, were sentenced to death for drug trafficking in Vietnam, court officials said.
- APRIL 22, 2005AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL GIVEN DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Nguyen Van Chinh, an Australian man of Vietnamese origin, was sentenced to death in Vietnam for drug trafficking.
- MARCH 10, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
Vo Van Viet, a Vietnamese man, was sentenced to death for murder after dowsing his victim with gasoline and setting him on fire in a drunken dispute.
- FEBRUARY 3, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
a court in Vietnam's commercial capital, Ho Chi Minh City...
a court in Vietnam's commercial capital, Ho Chi Minh City, sentenced two members of an organised crime gang to death on charges of murder and robbery.
- JANUARY 28, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
four people were executed by firing squad in Vietnam
four people were executed by firing squad in Vietnam