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
SEPTEMBER 26, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
The Hà Nội People’s Court sentenced a 28-year-old man to death for murder and robbing homes.
SEPTEMBER 21, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: 9 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR HEROIN TRAFFICKING
A court in northern Vietnam sentenced nine people to death for heroin trafficking, state media said.
SEPTEMBER 12, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: 2 MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TRAFFICKING 7 KILOS OF HEROIN
A court in the central province of Nghe An sentenced two people to death and another to life in prison for
AUGUST 9, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: NINE MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SMUGGLING 280KG OF HEROIN TO CHINA
A Lang Son court awarded death sentences to nine men and life to two others for smuggling a total of 280kg of heroin from the northern province to China in 2013 and 2014.
JULY 12, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: LAO SIBLINGS SENTENCED TO DEATH, LIFE FOR SMUGGLING HEROIN
A court in the central province of Nghe An handed down a death penalty and a life sentence to two Lao
- JUNE 29, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: 73-YR-OLD AUSSIE WOMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TRAFFICKING DRUGS
A court in Ho Chi Minh City sentenced an elderly Australian national to death for trafficking 1.6kg of heroin
- APRIL 29, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: SINGAPORE MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TRAFFICKING HEROIN
A court in Ho Chi Minh City sentenced a Singaporean man to death for trafficking 2.5 kilograms of heroin.
- APRIL 25, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: THAI WOMAN, 3 VIETNAMESE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A court in Hanoi sentenced three Vietnamese and a Thai woman to death for drug trafficking.
MARCH 24, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING 2 AT BEER CLUB
A court in the southern province of Kien Giang handed down a death sentence to a local man for killing two
FEBRUARY 16, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: DEATH ROW INMATE FOUND PREGNANT, 4 OFFICERS SUSPENDED
Four corrections officers were suspended in northern Vietnam after a death-row inmate became pregnant in an apparent attempt to avoid the death penalty, news reports said.
JANUARY 11, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: TWO PERSONS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
The People's Court in the northern province of Lang Son issued two death sentences, two life sentences and
- JANUARY 1, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTY
Capital punishment remains for crimes
Capital punishment remains for crimes such as murder, armed robbery, drug trafficking, and sexual abuse of children.
- NOVEMBER 27, 2015VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM PASSES LAW ABOLISHING DEATH PENALTY FOR 8 CRIMES
Death sentences imposed on corrupt Vietnamese officials will now be commuted to life in prison if they pay
NOVEMBER 27, 2015VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: BUSINESS EXECUTIVES SENTENCED TO DEATH
The HCM City People's Court handed down death penalties to two former business executives for
- OCTOBER 28, 2015VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR BRUTAL SLAYINGS OF FOUR
A court in the northern province of Yen Bai handed down the death penalty to a man for killing four people
MAY 20, 2015VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: MANY LAWMAKERS BACK ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY FOR 7 CRIMES
On the first working day of the 9th session of the 13th National Assembly (NA) that opened in Hanoi,
APRIL 23, 2015VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: LAOTIAN BROTHERS SENTENCED TO DEATH, LIFE TERM FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A Vietnam court gave capital punishment and a life sentence to two Laotian brothers who illegally
- APRIL 8, 2015VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY FOR CORRUPT BANK EXECUTIVE
The Ho Chi Minh People's Court upheld a death sentence handed down to the former director of Finance Leasing Company No. 2 (ACL II), who was involved in a major corruption case in 2007.
- APRIL 3, 2015VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: BROTHERS GET DEATH PENALTIES FOR TRAFFICKING OVER 210 KG DRUGS
A court in the southern province of Binh Duong gave 2 brothers death penalties for trafficking over 210 kilograms of heroin in one of the province's biggest drug cases.
- MARCH 24, 2015VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM PLANS TO REMOVE ROBBERY, DRUG CRIMES FROM DEATH PENALTY LIST
The Ministry of Justice has proposed abolishing the death penalty for a number of crimes including robbery and heroin smuggling, reducing it to life sentence at most.
- JANUARY 20, 2015IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTHEAST ASIA: UN RIGHTS OFFICE APPEALS FOR HALT IN EXECUTIONS FOR DRUG CRIMES
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) expressed concern over
- JANUARY 19, 2015VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: 8 DRUG CONVICTS SENTENCED TO DEATH
A court in the northern province of Hoa Binh sentenced eight people to death and handed down life
- JANUARY 1, 2015VietnamDEATH PENALTY
Capital punishment remains for crimes
Capital punishment remains for crimes such as murder, armed robbery, drug trafficking, and sexual abuse of children.
- DECEMBER 4, 2014VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR RAPE, MURDER OF 16-YR-OLD GIRL
A court in central Vietnam sentenced a man to death for raping and murdering a 16-year old girl two years
SEPTEMBER 24, 2014VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: TWO PERSONS GET DEATH SENTENCE FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A court in the northern Son La province sentenced to death Tran Manh Hung and Nguyen Duc Trung for
- SEPTEMBER 22, 2014VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: MAN WHO KILLED TWO KIDS OVER SWAN GETS DEATH
A Vietnam court upheld the death sentence for a man who last year killed two children in Buon Me Thuot,
- SEPTEMBER 4, 2014VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR DUO THAT KILLED 5 POACHERS IN CENTRAL VIETNAM
The Supreme People’s Court upheld the death sentences handed down to two men for beating five rare
- AUGUST 14, 2014VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: 6 GET DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
JULY 22, 2014VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: THREE PRISONERS EXECUTED
Three prisoners have been executed in Vietnam in different cases, state media reported.
JUNE 27, 2014AustraliaDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: AUSTRALIAN MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR HEROIN POSSESSION
State-controlled media say a court in southern Vietnam has sentenced an Australian citizen to death for