The International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) has welcomed amendments to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam's Criminal Code which, as of 1 July 2025, abolished the death penalty for eight offences.
IBAHRI Co-Chair, Mark Stephens CBE, commented: 'This historic step by Vietnam marks a significant development, bringing the country in greater alignment with the global trend towards abolition. Given its obligation not to delay or prevent abolition under Article 6(6) of the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the IBAHRI calls on Vietnam to build on this progress by pursuing total abolition of the death penalty for all crime.'
On 25 June 2025, Vietnam's National Assembly adopted legislation to reduce the number of capital offences from 18 to 10, removing capital punishment for:
- activities against the government (Article 109 of the Criminal Code);
- espionage (Article 110);
- sabotaging State facilities (Article 114);
- manufacture or trade of counterfeit medicines (Article 194);
- illegal transportation of narcotic substances (Article 250);
- embezzlement (Article 353);
- taking bribes (Article 354);
- disruption of peace, provocation of war of aggression (Article 421).
According to Vietnam's Minister of Public Security, Luong Tam Quang, the legislative development aims to address the 'problematic structure' of capital punishment , foster international cooperation, and aid the country's anticorruption efforts. As provided by the amendments, the Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court will commute death sentences for the aforementioned eight crimes that were handed down prior to 1 July 2025 - but not yet implemented - to life imprisonment.
Vietnam retains the death penalty for high treason (Article 108); rebellion (Article 112); terrorism to oppose the Government (Article 113); murder (Article 123); rape of a person under 16 (Article 142); illegal manufacturing of narcotic substances (Article 248); illegal dealing in narcotic substances (Article 251); terrorism (Article 299); crimes against humanity (Article 422); and war crimes (Article 423). Data on the use of the death penalty in Vietnam is reportedly considered a state secret, making it difficult to ascertain precise figures on its use.
IBAHRI Co-Chair Hina Jilani remarked: 'While the reduction in the scope of the death penalty marks a positive step forward, the IBAHRI urges Vietnam to go further and abolish the death penalty entirely while, in the meantime, enacting a moratorium on its application. We also call for greater transparency in the imposition and use of the death penalty. This should include providing full and accurate data on death sentences, executions, and conditions on death row.'
According to the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty , of which the IBAHRI is a member, 145 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice. Specifically, 113 countries have abolished it for all crimes, ten have abolished it for ordinary crimes and 22 are considered abolitionist in practice.
