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Communist Vietnam's secret death penalty conveyor belt: How country trails only China and Iran for 'astonishing' number of executions

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Prisoners are dragged from their cells at 4am without warning to be given a lethal injection Vietnam's use of the death penalty has been thrust into the spotlight after a real estate tycoon was on Thursday sentenced to be executed in one of the biggest corruption cases in the country's history. Truong My Lan, a businesswoman who chaired a sprawling company that developed luxury apartments, hotels, offices and shopping malls, was arrested in 2022.

Saudi Arabia: Laywer says Saudis might pardon Lebanese 'sorcerer'

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A Lebanese man who was charged with sorcery and given the death sentence in Saudi Arabia, might get an official pardon from the kingdom, his lawyer said on Friday.

Ali Sibat (pictured), a Lebanese television presenter was arrested in Saudi Arabia in May 2008 while on a pilgrimage to Mecca and found guilty of engaging in "sorcery."

Before his arrest, Sibat, a 49-year-old father of 5, used to work for a now defunct Lebanese satellite television channel where he used to predict the future to callers from around the world.

Saudi Arabia, a devout Muslim country, frowns on witchcraft, black magic and fortunetelling, which it regards as polytheism.

A Saudi court has issued the death sentence to Sabat and a beheading had been scheduled for April 2. But an uproar from Lebanon and a variety of human rights group caused Saudi officials to delay the sentence.

May Khansa, Sibat's Lebanese lawyer, said she was informed by Lebanese Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar that Sibat's "death sentence might be cancelled."

"We are still waiting, we do not have anything official, but the minister said there will be good news soon," Khansa said.

Most Lebanese consider the decision by the Saudi court to impose the death penalty on a Lebanese national who does not reside in the kingdom or work there to be unfair.

Source: Earth Times, April 23, 2010
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