On September 27, 2023, a collective of five international organizations expressed vehement condemnation for the arbitrary execution of Le Van Manh, a flagrant violation of his right to life and freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment. The execution took place despite credible allegations of severe beatings and torture by the police to extract a coerced “confession” used against him during his trial.

Despite widespread public outcry and persistent international calls for an impartial, independent review of Le Van Manh’s case, the Vietnamese authorities proceeded with the execution on 22 September 2023. This action defied international law and starkly contrasted the global movement towards a moratorium on the death penalty and its eventual abolition.