Vietnam Abolishes Death Penalty for Embezzlement and Other Crimes – The New York Times
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Vietnam to remove death penalty for embezzlement, anti-state crimes
Vietnam will remove the death penalty for eight offences from next month. These include embezzlement and activities aimed at overthrowing the government. The maximum sentence for these crimes will now be life imprisonment. Ten offences will remain subject to capital punishment in Vietnam, including murder, treason, terrorism and the sexual abuse of children.
Reuters
Vietnam will remove the death penalty for eight offences from next month, including embezzlement and activities aimed at overthrowing the government, state media reported on Wednesday.
The National Assembly, the country’s lawmaking body, unanimously ratified the amendment to the Criminal Code earlier on Wednesday to abolish the death penalty for the crimes, the official Vietnam News Agency reported.
A Vietnamese flag flutters on the day Chinese President Xi Jinping visits the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum during his visit to Hanoi, Vietnam, on 15th April, 2025. PICTURE: Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha/Pool/File photo
Other crimes that will no longer lead to the death penalty include vandalising state property, manufacturing fake medicine, jeopardising peace, triggering invasive wars, espionage and drug trafficking, the report said.
The maximum sentence for these crimes will now be life imprisonment, it said.
Those who were sentenced to death for these offences before 1st July but have not yet been executed will have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment, the report said.
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Ten offences will remain subject to capital punishment in Vietnam, including murder, treason, terrorism and the sexual abuse of children, according to the report.
Capital punishment data is a state secret in Vietnam and it is not known how many people are currently on death row in the country. Lethal injection is the only method of execution after firing squads were abolished in 2011.
Việt Nam abolishes death penalty for embezzlement, bribery
The National Assembly on Wednesday passed a law abolishing the death penalty for eight criminal offences, including embezzlement and taking bribes. The amended law will take effect on July 1 and is part of a roader reform effort to update Việt Nam’s criminal legal framework after more than eight years. With 429 out of 439 lawmakers voting in favour, accounting for 89.75 per cent of the total lawmakers, the legislative body approved amendments to the Penal Code during its morning session.
With 429 out of 439 lawmakers voting in favour, accounting for 89.75 per cent of the total lawmakers, the legislative body approved amendments to the Penal Code during its morning session.
The amended law will take effect on July 1 and is part of a roader reform effort to update Việt Nam’s criminal legal framework after more than eight years.
Crimes that are no longer eligible for the death penalty include activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration, sabotaging the State’s material and technical infrastructure, producing or trading counterfeit medicines for treatment or prevention, undermining peace and provoking war of aggression, espionage, illegal transportation of narcotics, embezzlement, and taking bribes.
The law includes a transitional clause specifying that those who received death sentences for these eight offences before July 1 will not be executed. The Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court will instead commute those sentences to life imprisonment.
According to the Government’s report to the National Assembly, the move aligns with Việt Nam’s current conditions. It maintains the necessary deterrent effect while supporting the gradual reduction of capital punishment and meeting the requirements for international cooperation and development.
In the case of embezzlement and bribery, the amended law sets stricter conditions for sentence reduction. Individuals sentenced to life imprisonment for these crimes will only be eligible for reduced sentences if they voluntarily return at least three-quarters of the assets involved and actively cooperate with authorities or make significant contributions to the investigation.
The amendment also introduces new penalties for the illegal use of narcotics. Under Article 256a, individuals undergoing or recently discharged from rehabilitation who continue using drugs will be subject to criminal charges.
In addition, the law raises the minimum prison terms for crimes related to environmental pollution, hazardous waste management, drug production and trafficking, and food safety violations. These include Articles 235, 236, 248, 249, 251 and 317 of the Penal Code.
Fines for environmental crimes and offences involving counterfeit food, medicine, agricultural products or corruption have also been doubled. The Government cited changes in economic and social conditions, including a two-fold increase in base salary and a two-fold rise in per capita income since 2015, to justify the adjustment. — VNS