Bahrain
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · The offenses for which capital punishment either can...
- News items in the archive
- 133
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Bahrain is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 133 news items on Bahrain, from 1999 to today.
In Bahrain the death penalty applies to murder, terrorism and offences against state security. The method is shooting. Human rights organisations have documented sentences handed down at the end of contested trials, in particular in cases of a political nature.
The archive follows sentences, appeals and executions.
Latest news
JULY 8, 2025BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING NEIGHBOUR OVER PERSONAL DISPUTE IN SHAKHURA
The First High Criminal Court has sentenced a man to death for fatally stabbing his neighbour in the Shakhura area, News of Bahrain reported on July 8, 2025.
MAY 22, 2024BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: KING TAKES ACTIVISTS BY SURPRISE WITH PARDON FOR AT LEAST 1,500 PRISONERS
Bahrain has unconditionally released more than 1,500 prisoners, including political detainees, in the biggest royal pardon since the 2011 Arab spring uprising, The Guardian reported on April 9, 2024.
JULY 19, 2022BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHREIN: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A Bahraini was sentenced to death by the High Criminal Court on 19 July 2022 for drug trafficking across regional waters.
JUNE 22, 2021BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN REJECTS UN CALL TO RELEASE TWO ANTI-REGIME POLITICAL ACTIVISTS FACING DEATH PENALTY
Bahrain on 20 June 2021 rejected a call by the United Nations rights watchdog to release and compensate two anti-regime political activists facing death sentences.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2020BahrainDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: 2 SENTENCED TO DEATH 18 YEARS AFTER THE MURDER OF NATORE FREEDOM FIGHTER
Two people were sentenced to death by a Natore court on 21 September 2020 for killing freedom fighter Dr Aynal Haque, also a former president of the Baraigram upazila unit Awami League in Natore.
SEPTEMBER 7, 2020BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: THREE SENTENCED TO DEATH LOSE THEIR FINAL APPEAL
Three men who received the capital punishment for bludgeoning a man to death with a hammer and a brick have lost their final appeal, The Gulf Daily News reported on 10 August 2020.
JULY 23, 2020BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: KING URGED TO COMMUTE DEATH SENTENCES OF PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS
More than a dozen human rights groups have signed an open letter to Bahrain's king in a last-ditch attempt to commute the death sentences of two activists who were charged with killing an officer by bombing a police convoy in 2014.
JULY 20, 2020BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: CRITICISM OVER DEATH SENTENCES REJECTED
Bahrain has categorically rejected criticism of recent death sentences issued against two people convicted of murdering a policeman more than six years ago, Gulf News reported on 19 July 2020.
- JULY 13, 2020BahrainDEATH PENALTY
BAHRAIN: TOP COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCES AGAINST TWO ACTIVISTS
Bahrain's Court of Cassation on 13 July 2020 upheld death sentences against two activists for bombing a convoy and killing a police officer, after convictions that human rights groups say were based on confessions extracted through torture.
JUNE 17, 2020BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: CASSATION COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCES AGAINST POLITICAL DETAINEES ZUHEIR IBRAHIM, HUSSEIN ABDULLAH
The Bahraini Cassation Court upheld on 15 June 2020 death sentences against political detainees Zuheir Ibrahim Jassim and Hussein Abdullah Rashid.
JUNE 14, 2020PhilippinesDEATH PENALTYPHILIPPINES: 11 OF THE 16 OFWS PARDONED IN BAHRAIN ARE REPATRIATED
Eleven of the 16 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Bahrain earlier granted royal pardon have been deported to the Philippines, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said on 11 June 2020.
APRIL 28, 2020BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: THREE BANGLADESHIS LOSE APPEAL AGAINST CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
The High Court of Appeal upheld on 27 April 2020 the death sentences handed down by the High Court to three Bangladeshis for committing a premeditated theft-related murder.
JANUARY 29, 2020BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: THREE BANGLADESHIS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING COMPATRIOT
Three people who bludgeoned another to death with a hammer and a brick on 28 January 2020 were condemned to death in Bahrain.
- JANUARY 9, 2020BahrainDEATH PENALTY
BAHRAIN: COURT REIMPOSES DEATH PENALTY FOR TWO PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS
Bahrain’s top criminal court has reimposed the death penalty on two pro-democracy activists using “false confessions” obtained under torture, rights groups said on 8 January 2020.
- JANUARY 1, 2020BahrainDEATH PENALTY
The offences for which capital punishment either can or must
The offences for which capital punishment either can or must
JULY 29, 2019BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: TWO SHIA ACTIVISTS EXECUTED DESPITE CALLS TO HALT DEATH SENTENCES
Two Shia activists - Ahmad al-Mullali, 24, and Ali Hakim al-Arab, 25 - were executed at Jaw prison, south of the Bahraini capital Manama, on 26 July 2019 after private meetings with their famili
MAY 16, 2019BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: TWO MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SMUGGLING HASHISH
Two of seven men who were caught smuggling 68 kilograms of Hashish to Bahrain from Iran were sentenced to death by the Supreme Court of Appeals on 13 May 2019.
MAY 14, 2019BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCES AGAINST TWO ANTI-REGIME ACTIVISTS
Bahrain’s supreme court of appeal on 12 May 2019 upheld death sentences against two anti-regime activists.
MAY 7, 2019BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCES AND PRISON TERMS LINKED TO TERRORIST CELL
Bahrain’s supreme court of appeal on 6 May 2019 upheld death sentences for two men convicted of forming a terrorist group that attacked security forces.
MARCH 3, 2019BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG SMUGGLERS
The First High Criminal Court on 27 February 2019 sentenced two defendants to death after finding them guilty of smuggling 68 kilograms of hashish from Iran through the sea
- FEBRUARY 26, 2019BahrainDEATH PENALTY
BAHRAIN: TWO DEATH SENTENCES UPHELD IN TERROR CASE
The Cassation Court in Bahrain upheld the death penalty for two defendants in the case of establishing and funding an illegal terrorist group, the murder of police officers and the attempted murder of others, Gulf News reported on 25 February 2019.
FEBRUARY 20, 2019BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: MOSQUE IMAM MURDERER DEATH SENTENCE UPHELD
The Court of Cassation upheld on 11 February 2019 the death sentence handed down to the killer of the Imam of Bin Shaddah Mosque.
- FEBRUARY 11, 2019BahrainDEATH PENALTY
BAHRAIN: COURT GIVES DEATH PENALTY TO ACTIVIST, LIFE TERMS TO NEARLY TWO DOZEN OTHERS
Bahrain's Fourth High Criminal Court on 31 January 2019 passed the death penalty on a Bahraini national and sentenced 23 other activists to life in prison, the Arabic-language Lualua television network reported.
- JANUARY 9, 2019BahrainDEATH PENALTY
BAHRAIN: COURT HANDS DOWN DEATH SENTENCES TO DUO CONVICTED OF SELLING NARCOTICS
Seven men have been handed down various sentences on drug-related charges, Northern Prosecutor Mohammed Al Maliki announced on 31 December 2018.
- JANUARY 3, 2019BahrainDEATH PENALTY
BAHRAIN: DEATH PENALTY UPHELD FOR DEFENDANTS IN 2015 BOMBINGS
Bahrain’s High Court of Appeal on 26 December 2018 unanimously upheld a verdict handed down to 26 suspects in the 2015 Abu Saiba bombings that killed a security officer and injured many others including civilians, announced Chief of the Terror Crime Prose
- JANUARY 1, 2019BahrainDEATH PENALTY
The offences for which capital punishment either can or must
The offences for which capital punishment either can or must
DECEMBER 31, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: 9 NEW DEATH PENALTIES, 5 ON DEATH ROW AND 147 LIFE SENTENCES IN 2018
In 2018, nine new death sentences were handed down to political prisoners.
DECEMBER 31, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: 9 NEW DEATH PENALTIES, 5 ON DEATH ROW AND 147 LIFE SENTENCES IN 2018
In 2018 nine new death sentences were handed down to political prisoners, secondo il Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR)
- NOVEMBER 16, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTY
BAHRAIN: REGIME COURTS ISSUED DEATH SENTENCES FOR 32 ACTIVISTS SINCE 2011
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) on 13 November 2018 condemned the kingdom’s persistence on passing death sentences against anti-regime activists, calling the practice an “inhuman punishment” as the ruling Aal-e Khalifah regime presses ahead wit
- NOVEMBER 13, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTY
BAHRAIN: COURT SENTENCES FOUR NATIONALS TO DEATH OVER TERROR CHARGES
A Bahraini court on 12 November 2018 sentenced four of its nationals to death for their alleged roles in a deadly bombing last year.