Appeal begins for Vietnam death row tycoon

The appeal of a Vietnamese property tycoon sentenced to death for fraud totaling $27 billion began on Monday after she pleaded for a more "lenient and humane" sentence. The court will review Lan's request for a reduced sentence, along with that of 47 other defendants, during a three-week appeal attended by 100 lawyers, state media said. In her handwritten appeal of more than five pages seen by AFP, Lan said that the death sentence was "too severe and harsh". - Fake loan applications - During her first trial in April, Lan was found guilty of embezzling $12.5 billion, but prosecutors said the total damages caused by the scam amounted to $27 billion -- equivalent to around six percent of the country's 2023 GDP. "She must live to fix what she has done and repay people like me," said Hang, who has regularly attended protests in front of the Ho Chi Minh City court.