HANOI (AFP) — A British citizen facing death for heroin trafficking in Vietnam had his sentence commuted to life imprisonment after diplomats intervened on his behalf, a British diplomat said Friday.
Le Manh Luong had been condemned to die after being found guilty in November 2006.
But his sentence was commuted to life, said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"Her majesty's government is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances. It is our policy to make representations at any stage and level deemed appropriate when a British national faces the death penalty," the diplomat said.
"We appreciate the Vietnamese government's sensitivity to our position."
Vietnam has one of the toughest drug trafficking laws in the world. Anyone caught with more than 600 grammes of heroin or 20 kilograms of opium can face the death penalty.
London made several interventions on behalf of Luong, who was of Vietnamese origin, the diplomat said. Luong cannot be returned to Britain because the two countries don't have a repatriation agreement.
At least 104 people were condemned to die in Vietnam in 2007, while another 15, including one Australian, have received the death sentence since the start of the year, according to numbers compiled by AFP and from local media.
Under diplomatic pressure, foreigners are rarely executed.
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