Vietnam's government has proposed abolishing the death penalty for six offenses, including drug trafficking and rape of minors, as part of a revision to the criminal code. The proposal aims to align with progressive legislative trends and enhance international cooperation.
The proposed changes reflect Vietnam's move towards aligning its legal system with international standards and could impact its standing in global judicial cooperation and extradition agreements.
Vietnam's government has put forward a proposal to eliminate the death penalty for six offenses, including drug trafficking and the rape of minors, as part of a revision to the country's criminal code. Public Security Minister Luong Tam Quang informed the National Assembly that the draft code would limit capital punishment to four crimes: treason, murder, terrorism, and the illegal production of narcotics.
The ministry stated that narrowing the scope of capital offenses institutionalizes the Party's policy, aligns with progressive legislative trends, and enhances Vietnam's standing in criminal judicial cooperation, extradition, and mutual legal assistance. This proposal follows amendments enacted in July 2025, which removed the death penalty for eight offenses, including embezzlement and activities aimed at overthrowing the government. These prior changes spared property tycoon Truong My Lan, convicted in a $12 billion fraud case, from execution.
Under the proposed draft law, other offenses that would no longer be punishable by death include rioting, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The National Assembly is scheduled to debate the bill in the coming weeks, with a vote anticipated at its next session beginning in October. If approved, the revised criminal code is expected to take effect in March 2027. Capital punishment data is considered a state secret in Vietnam, and the method of execution is lethal injection, following the abolition of firing squads in 2011.