Vietnam Moves to Limit Death Penalty, a Key Step Toward Human Rights Reform

In a landmark legislative move hailed by human rights advocates worldwide, the National Assembly of Vietnam voted unanimously on Wednesday to eliminate the death penalty for several criminal offenses, including espionage, embezzlement, and the illegal transportation of narcotic substances. The reform, set to come into effect on 1 July 2025, will reduce the number of crimes punishable by death from 18 to 10, signaling a major shift in Vietnam’s criminal justice policy and human rights landscape.

Progressive Reform in Criminal Law

This legislative revision is part of Vietnam’s broader criminal code reform efforts and comes amid increasing international scrutiny over the country’s use of capital punishment. According to local reports, the amended law removes the death penalty for non-violent offenses that are often rooted in socio-economic factors, such as drug transportation and corruption-related crimes.

The change reflects growing recognition within the Vietnamese legislative system that capital punishment is not a proportionate or effective deterrent for certain crimes. It also aligns with global trends, where more than two-thirds of countries have either abolished the death penalty in law or in practice.

A Call for Complete Abolition

The recent reform has been welcomed as a significant human rights advancement, but international bodies and rights organizations are urging the Vietnamese government to go further.

“We welcome this historic vote by Vietnam’s Parliament and see it as a meaningful step forward in aligning the country’s laws with international human rights standards,” a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office stated. “However, we strongly encourage Vietnam to build upon this progress by working toward total abolition of the death penalty for all crimes.”

In the meantime, human rights advocates are calling on authorities to establish an immediate moratorium on executions for the remaining 10 capital offenses. These include crimes such as murder, terrorism, and drug manufacturing—offenses still considered punishable by death under the revised legal framework.

The Global Trend Away from Capital Punishment

Vietnam’s reform comes as part of a wider global movement. As of 2025, over 140 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. The United Nations continues to urge all member states to adopt a moratorium on capital punishment as a step toward full abolition, citing the irreversible nature of wrongful convictions and the lack of conclusive evidence that executions deter crime.

Numerous studies and data analyses have shown that the death penalty has little to no impact on reducing crime rates, particularly when compared to long-term imprisonment and rehabilitative justice systems.

Moreover, the use of the death penalty has raised concerns about its compatibility with the right to life, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and its violation of prohibitions against torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.

Transparency and Future Challenges

Vietnam has historically maintained a level of secrecy surrounding death sentences and executions, with limited official data released. Human rights groups have long urged for greater transparency in the criminal justice system and for safeguards to ensure fair trials.

While the latest changes are welcomed, further legislative and institutional reforms will be necessary to ensure that Vietnam's legal system meets international standards of fairness, proportionality, and humane treatment.

A Pivotal Step Toward Justice Reform

The National Assembly’s unanimous decision reflects an evolving legal and moral framework in Vietnam, one increasingly influenced by global norms and domestic aspirations for justice reform. As the nation moves forward, it has the opportunity to lead by example in Southeast Asia by embracing a justice system rooted not in retribution, but in fairness, rehabilitation, and human dignity.