Viet Nam abolishes death penalty for certain offences

Specfically, the Southeast Asian country shall end death penalty for the following offences:

(i) Activities aimed at overthrowing the people's government;

(ii) Espionage

(iii) Sabotaging facilities of Socialist Republic of Viet Nam;

(iv) Manufacturing and trading of counterfeit medicines for treatment or prevention of diseases;

(v) Illegal transport of narcotic substances;

(vi) Embezzlement;

(vii) Taking bribes;

(viii) Disruption of peace, provocation of war of aggression

For offences such as embezzlement and taking bribes, conditional parole shall be granted to offenders who have returned at least three quarters of the property embezzled or bribes taken, and closely cooperated with the authorities in the process of investigation or trial, or has made reparation in an effort to atone for the crime.

With this latest move, Viet Nam has reduced the number of offences subject to death penalty to 10 from 44 in 1985, said Deputy Minister of Public Security Le Quoc Hung.