Vietnam has reduced the number of offenses carrying the death penalty from 18 to 10, including corruption and espionage, under a new law.

As of July 1, Vietnam adopted a law reducing the number of offenses punishable by death to ten. Crimes such as espionage and passive corruption will no longer attract the death penalty, but only life imprisonment. Those already sentenced will not be executed. The change is part of efforts to bring legislation in line with socio-economic realities and improve international cooperation. Vietnam sentenced more than 150 people to death last year, mostly for drug-related offenses.