Australian death-row convict loses Vietnam appeal
A 45-year-old Australian of Vietnamese origin has lost his appeal against his death sentence for trafficking heroin in Vietnam, state media say.
The Nhan Dan (People) newspaper says the Court of Appeal in Ho Chi Minh City has rejected Nguyen Van Chinh's appeal.
Only a presidential pardon can save him from execution.
Chinh was found guilty in April of buying 1.05 kilograms of heroin to send abroad.
He was arrested in December 2002 with 56-year-old Huynh Thi Anh Dao, a woman who sold the drugs and whose appeal against her life sentence has also been rejected.
The 45-year-old has seven days to appeal to the Vietnamese President for clemency.
The Australian Government says it will continue to provide assistance during the final stages of the legal process.
A spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Minister says the Government has also expressed its opposition to the death penalty.
Reuters - July 12, 2005.
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