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
- 786
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 786 news items on Vietnam, from 1999 to today.
In Vietnam the number of executions is treated as a state secret. Figures emerge intermittently, often from internal documents. Capital punishment concerns above all drug offences and serious economic crimes, and since 2011 the method has been lethal injection, which replaced shooting.
The archive gathers the known sentences, individual cases and the rare official information.
Latest news
NOVEMBER 21, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: APPEALS COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE ON AUSSIE DRUG TRAFFICKER
An appeals court in Vietnam commuted the death sentence of a 73-year-old Australian woman convicted of heroin trafficking.
- NOVEMBER 18, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTY
Vietnam's National Assembly approved the Law on Belief and Religion which replaces the current Ordinance on Belief and Religion.
Vietnam's National Assembly approved the Law on Belief and Religion which replaces the current Ordinance on Belief and Religion.
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 PENALTYVIETNAM: BUSINESS EXECUTIVES SENTENCED TO DEATH
The HCM City People's Court handed down death penalties to two former business executives for
- 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
- 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 PENALTYSOUTHEAST 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 PENALTYVIETNAM: 6 GET DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING