After a long delay due to lack of drugs, Vietnam will finally use lethal injection for prisoners with death sentences using local made drugs starting June 27.
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| Lethal injection will be ready for death-row prisoners |
The drugs will be supplied by the Ministry of Health in accordance with decree 47, which will override decree 82, concerning death sentences in 2011.
According to the decree, the lethal injection will include chemicals to render the inmate unconscious, paralysed and finally cause their heart to stop.
By the request from the Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Health must ensure a supply of the drug sufficient for the correctional system and give guidance on its usage. Transfer of the drug will also be subject to tight management.
When Vietnam decided to switch to lethal injection for death penalty, decree 82 stated that lethal injection for death penalty would include sodium thiopental, pancuronium bromide and potassium chloride.
Previously these chemicals had to be imported from the EU. However the EU is opposed to the death penalty and refused to sell the chemicals for the purposes of lethal injection. As a result the government asked the Ministry of Health to develop a means of producing the necessary chemicals domestically.
More than 500 death sentences have been put on hold in recent years, leading to many debates among NA deputies.