Vietnam ends death penalty for 8 crimes, may spare real estate tycoon
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) -- Vietnam has lifted the death penalty for eight crimes in legal reforms that may spare the life of a real estate tycoon imprisoned in the country's largest financial fraud case.
The legal reforms in Vietnam ended the death penalty for eight crimes, including trying to overthrow the government, damaging state infrastructure, making and selling fake medicine, starting wars, spying, drug trafficking, embezzlement, and taking bribes.
Vietnamese lawmakers passed the reforms on Wednesday, according to state media.
Truong My Lan, sentenced to death for her involvement in Vietnam's largest financial fraud case, will be eligible to have her sentence reduced after the reforms, her lawyer said Thursday.
The 67-year-old chair of the real estate company Van Thinh Phat who was facing execution for her involvement in fraud amounting to $12.5 billion -- nearly 3% of the country's 2022 GDP -- will now be "eligible for the exemption for the death penalty" according to the new rules, her lawyer Phan Minh Hoang told The Associated Press.
"We are still waiting for the official instructions of implementing the law amendment for next steps in her case," Hoang said.
The new rules also say that anyone already sentenced to death for these crimes but not yet executed by July 1 will have their sentence changed to life in prison after a final decision by Vietnam's highest court.
After the legal changes, the maximum punishment for Lan's crimes will be life imprisonment without parole. Hoang said that they were continuing to work on repaying the damages to get her sentence further reduced.
The law change will likely impact other ongoing trials such as the one that started earlier this week involving the real estate and infrastructure development company Phuc Son Group, whose chairman Nguyen Van Hau is accused of paying over $5 million in bribes to win contracts for major infrastructure projects across three provinces.
Following the change, Vietnam now has the death penalty for 10 crimes like murder, sexual abuse of children, treason and terrorism.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Mainichi
7 hours ago
- The Mainichi
What to know about the Supreme Court ruling 10 years ago that legalized same-sex marriage in the US
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling 10 years ago on June 26, 2015, legalized same-sex marriage across the U.S. The Obergefell v. Hodges decision followed years of national wrangling during which some states moved to protect domestic partnerships or civil unions for same-sex partners and others declared that marriage could exist only between one man and one woman. In plaintiff James Obergefell's home state of Ohio, voters had overwhelmingly approved such an amendment in 2004 -- effectively mirroring the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which denied federal recognition of same-sex couples. That laid the political groundwork for the legal challenge that bears his name. Here's what you need to know about the lawsuit, the people involved and the 2015 ruling's immediate and longer-term effects: Who are James Obergefell and Rick Hodges? Obergefell and John Arthur, who brought the initial legal action, were longtime partners living in Cincinnati. They had been together for nearly two decades when Arthur was diagnosed with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, in 2011. Obergefell became Arthur's caregiver as the incurable condition ravaged his health over time. When in 2013 the Supreme Court struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which had denied federal recognition of same-sex marriages, the pair acted quickly to get married. Their union was not allowed in Ohio, so they boarded a plane to Maryland and, because of Arthur's fragile health, married on the tarmac. It was when they learned their union would not be listed on Arthur's death certificate that the legal battle began. They went to court seeking recognition of their marriage on the document, and their request was granted. Ohio appealed, and the case began its way up the ladder to the nation's high court. Obergefell, a Democrat, made an unsuccessful run for the Ohio House in 2022. Rick Hodges, a Republican, was director of the Ohio Department of Health, which handles death certificates, from August 2014 to 2017. Before being appointed by then-Gov. John Kasich, Hodges served five years in the state's House. Acquainted through the court case, he and Obergefell have become friends. What were the legal arguments? The lawsuit eventually titled Obergefell v. Hodges argued that marriage is guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment, specifically the due process and equal protection clauses. The litigation consolidated several lawsuits brought by same-sex couples in Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee who were denied marriage licenses or recognition for out-of-state marriages and whose cases resulted in conflicting opinions in federal circuit courts. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the right to marry is fundamental, calling it "inherent in the liberty of the person" and therefore protected by the Constitution. The ruling effectively nullified state-level bans on same-sex marriages, as well as laws declining to recognize such unions performed in other jurisdictions. The custody, property, tax, insurance and business implications of the decision have also had sweeping impacts on other areas of law. How did the country react? Same-sex marriages surged in the immediate wake of the Obergefell decision, as dating couples and those already living as domestic partners flocked to courthouses and houses of worship that welcomed them to legalize their unions. Over the ensuing decade, the number of married same-sex couples has more than doubled to an estimated 823,000, according to June data compiled by the Williams Institute at the University of California Los Angeles School of Law. Not all Americans supported the change. A national symbol of opposition was Kim Davis, a then-clerk in Rowan County, Kentucky, who refused to issue marriage licenses on religious grounds. She was briefly jailed, touching off weeks of protests as gay marriage foes around the country praised her defiance. Davis, a Republican, lost her bid for reelection in 2018. She was ordered to pay thousands of dollars in attorney fees incurred by a couple who were unable to get a license from her office. She appealed in July 2024, in a challenge that seeks to overturn Obergefell. As he reflects on the 10th anniversary of the ruling, Obergefell has expressed worry about the state of LGBTQ+ rights in the country and the possibility that a case could reach the Supreme Court that might overturn the decision. Eight states introduced resolutions this year urging a reversal, and the Southern Baptist Convention voted overwhelmingly at its meeting in Dallas this month in favor of banning gay marriage and overturning Obergefell. Meanwhile more than a dozen states have moved to strengthen legal protections for same-sex married couples in case the decision is overturned. Polling from Gallup shows that Americans' support for same-sex marriages is higher in 2025 than it was a decade ago: About 7 in 10 people surveyed said same-sex couples should be recognized by the law as valid, up from 60% in May 2015.
Nikkei Asia
9 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
India rejects signing Shanghai Cooperation Organization statement
India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, left, attends the Defense Ministers' Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Members States in Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong province on June 26. © AP NEW DELHI (AP) -- Beijing's bid for enhanced regional leadership suffered a setback Thursday when India rejected signing a joint statement put before members of the China-backed Shanghai Cooperation Organization, saying it was pro-Pakistan in not mentioning April's terror attack on Indian tourists. Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said the statement diluted India's position on critical issues such as terrorism and regional security, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media.
The Mainichi
9 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Vietnam ends death penalty for 8 crimes, may spare real estate tycoon
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) -- Vietnam has lifted the death penalty for eight crimes in legal reforms that may spare the life of a real estate tycoon imprisoned in the country's largest financial fraud case. The legal reforms in Vietnam ended the death penalty for eight crimes, including trying to overthrow the government, damaging state infrastructure, making and selling fake medicine, starting wars, spying, drug trafficking, embezzlement, and taking bribes. Vietnamese lawmakers passed the reforms on Wednesday, according to state media. Truong My Lan, sentenced to death for her involvement in Vietnam's largest financial fraud case, will be eligible to have her sentence reduced after the reforms, her lawyer said Thursday. The 67-year-old chair of the real estate company Van Thinh Phat who was facing execution for her involvement in fraud amounting to $12.5 billion -- nearly 3% of the country's 2022 GDP -- will now be "eligible for the exemption for the death penalty" according to the new rules, her lawyer Phan Minh Hoang told The Associated Press. "We are still waiting for the official instructions of implementing the law amendment for next steps in her case," Hoang said. The new rules also say that anyone already sentenced to death for these crimes but not yet executed by July 1 will have their sentence changed to life in prison after a final decision by Vietnam's highest court. After the legal changes, the maximum punishment for Lan's crimes will be life imprisonment without parole. Hoang said that they were continuing to work on repaying the damages to get her sentence further reduced. The law change will likely impact other ongoing trials such as the one that started earlier this week involving the real estate and infrastructure development company Phuc Son Group, whose chairman Nguyen Van Hau is accused of paying over $5 million in bribes to win contracts for major infrastructure projects across three provinces. Following the change, Vietnam now has the death penalty for 10 crimes like murder, sexual abuse of children, treason and terrorism.
