• Vietnam will remove the death penalty for eight crimes, including embezzlement and anti-state activities.
• The National Assembly unanimously approved the amendment to the Criminal Code.
• The maximum penalty for these crimes will now be life imprisonment.
• Previously sentenced offenders will have their death penalties commuted.
• Ten other crimes, including murder and terrorism, will still incur the death penalty.

On June 25, 2025, Vietnam announced it will abolish the death penalty for eight offences, including embezzlement and activities aimed at overthrowing the government. The National Assembly ratified this significant amendment to the Criminal Code, which is set to take effect next month, shifting the maximum penalty for these crimes to life imprisonment, as reported by Reuters and Channel News Asia.

Other offences no longer punishable by death include vandalising state property, producing fake medicines, espionage, and drug trafficking. Importantly, this change will allow those previously sentenced to death for these crimes but not yet executed to have their penalties commuted to life imprisonment, as confirmed by Al Jazeera, The Jakarta Post, and Reuters.

The amendment reflects changing legal standards and aims to align Vietnam's practices with contemporary views on capital punishment, as highlighted by Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang, who criticized the old structure as "problematic." The death penalty will remain applicable for ten serious offences, including murder and terrorism, ensuring a continued strict approach to certain crimes, reports Channel News Asia and The Jakarta Post.

This legislative change marks a significant shift in Vietnam's approach to criminal justice, reducing the number of offences punishable by death from eighteen to ten, indicating a growing sensitivity towards human rights issues. However, the lack of transparency in capital punishment data remains concerning, with estimates suggesting over 1,200 individuals currently on death row, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.