Vietnam abolishes death penalty under list of articles, including coup d'etat

By Alimat Aliyeva

Starting next month, Vietnam will abolish the death penalty for a number of crimes, including financial fraud and attempted coups.

The crimes for which the death penalty will no longer be applied include damage to State property, manufacture of counterfeit medicines, launching aggressive wars, espionage, and drug trafficking.

According to official sources, the maximum penalty for these offenses will now be life imprisonment. Individuals who were sentenced to death under these articles before July 1 but have not yet been executed will have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment.

This reform reflects Vietnam’s gradual move towards a more humane criminal justice system and aligns with a global trend of reducing the use of capital punishment. Over the past decade, Vietnam has steadily decreased the number of crimes punishable by death, signaling its commitment to international human rights standards.

Experts also note that this change could improve Vietnam’s international relations and economic partnerships, as many countries and global organizations advocate for the abolition of the death penalty as a condition for closer cooperation.

The government emphasized that while the death penalty will be abolished for these crimes, it will still apply to a limited number of extremely serious offenses, such as murder and terrorism, ensuring public safety remains a priority.