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
OCTOBER 31, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: COURTS UPHOLD DEATH SENTENCES AGAINST TWO ANTI-REGIME ACTIVISTS
Bahraini courts on 29 October 2018 upheld death sentences against two anti-regime activists and revoked the citizenship of six others as the ruling Al Khalifah regime presses ahead with its heavy clampdown on political dissidents and pro-democracy activis
OCTOBER 24, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN REVERSES DEATH SENTENCE AGAINST TWO CITIZENS
Bahrain’s Court of Cassation accepted the verdict in form and turned down the appealed death penalty in substance against defendants Hussain Ali Moussa and Mohammed Ramadan Essa, Asharq Al-Awsat reported on 23 October 2018.
JUNE 17, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: 3 SHIA CLERICS SENTENCED TO DEATH, 8 OTHERS TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
Bahraini regime officials have handed down death sentences to three Shia clergymen and condemned eight others to life imprisonment
MAY 22, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCES AGAINST 2 ANTI-REGIME ACTIVISTS, REVOKES CITIZENSHIP OF 9 OTHERS
Manama upheld death sentences against two activists
APRIL 26, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCES HANDED DOWN BY MILITARY COURT
Bahrain’s king has commuted death sentences handed down to four men by a military court to life in prison, state news agency BNA reported.
MARCH 9, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: 15 PEOPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH
The Bahrain Court of Appeal confirmed the death sentence of 15 and the prison sentences of nineteen.
MARCH 7, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: HIGH COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY IN COP MURDER CASE
The High Court of Appeal upheld the death sentence in the bomb attack case in which policeman Mahmoud Farid was killed, a statement issued by Terror Crime Prosecution said.
- FEBRUARY 26, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTY
BAHRAIN UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR BOMBING LINKED TO IRAN
Bahrain's highest appeals court upheld a death sentence and lengthy jail terms in a mass trial over a fatal 2016 bombing that authorities have linked to Iran.
FEBRUARY 1, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: TWO DEATH PENALTIES
The Fourth High Criminal Court in Bahrain, headed by Judge Ali Khalifa Al Dhahrani, unanimously sentenced Mousa Abdullah Mousa Jaafar to death on charges of killing a policeman in the Karana bombing.
JANUARY 31, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH IN JAW PRISON ESCAPE AND POLICE OFFICER MURDER CASE
A Bahraini court issued harsh sentences against 58 defendants in the case involving the Jaw Prison escape, harboring of fugitives and killing of police officer Al-Hammadi.
JANUARY 29, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: ACTIVIST'S DEATH SENTENCE UPHELD DESPITE TORTURE ALLEGATIONS
Manama’s Cassation Court ruled in favor of upholding Maher al-Khabaz’s death sentence.
JANUARY 10, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: MILITARY COURT UPHOLDS 1ST DEATH PENALTY
Bahrain’s highest military appellate court on upheld a death penalty for the first time since it was established seven years ago.
- JANUARY 1, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTY
The offences for which capital punishment either can or must
The offences for which capital punishment either can or must
- DECEMBER 25, 2017BahrainDEATH PENALTY
BAHRAIN: SIX SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, TERROR ATTACKS
Bahrain’s High Military Court sentenced six defendants, including a soldier, to death on charges of forming a terrorist group, attempting to assassinate the Commander-in-Chief of Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) and carrying out terror attacks.
NOVEMBER 23, 2017United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTYANTI-TERROR STATES ADD 2 ENTITIES, 11 INDIVIDUALS TO TERRORIST BLACKLIST
The Anti-Terror Quartet (ATQ); Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, added two entities and 11 individuals to its blacklist.
NOVEMBER 22, 2017BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY AGAINST HUSSEIN MARZOUQ, ACCUSED BY AUTHORITIES OF BEING BEHIND FAKHRIYA MUSLIM’S DEATH
The Bahraini Court of Appeal upheld the death sentence issued against detainee Hussein Marzouq, who was accused by the authorities of being behind a bombing that resulted in the death of Fakhriya Muslim.
- JUNE 19, 2017BahrainDEATH PENALTY
BAHRAIN: ONE SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER DEADLY 2016 BOMBING
A Bahrain court sentenced to death one person and another to life in prison over a 2016 bombing that killed a woman in a Shiite-majority village.
JUNE 6, 2017BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN COURT GIVES DEATH, JAIL SENTENCES TO DOZEN DISSIDENTS
Bahrain's Fourth High Criminal Court, presided by Ali Khalifah al-Dhahrani, delivered the death verdicts to Sayed Ahmed Fouad al-Abar and Hussein Ali Mahdi, sentenced two other defendants to life imprisonment and passed prison sentences ranging from 3 to
- APRIL 3, 2017BahrainDEATH PENALTY
Bahrain's king approved the amendment to Article 105(b) of Bahrain's constitution granting military courts the right to try civilians, according to the official BNA news agency.
Bahrain's king approved the amendment to Article 105(b) of Bahrain's constitution granting military courts the right to try civilians, according to the official BNA news agency.
MARCH 29, 2017BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN COURT GIVES JAIL, DEATH SENTENCES TO DISSIDENTS
A Bahraini court has handed down a jail sentence to a leader of the banned opposition al-Wefaq National Islamic Society and death and jail sentences to other anti-regime activists.
- JANUARY 15, 2017BahrainDEATH PENALTY
BAHRAIN: THREE SHI'ITES CONVICTED OF KILLING POLICEMEN EXECUTED
Bahraini authorities executed three Shi'ite Muslim men convicted of killing an Emirati police officer and two Bahraini policemen in a 2014 bomb attack.
- JANUARY 9, 2017BahrainDEATH PENALTY
BAHRAIN: DEATH SENTENCES UPHELD IN KILLING OF UAE OFFICER
Bahrain’s Cassation Court upheld the death sentence for three people found guilty of killing UAE army
- JANUARY 1, 2017BahrainDEATH PENALTY
The offences for which capital punishment either can or must
The offences for which capital punishment either can or must
DECEMBER 4, 2016BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS THREE BOMB BLAST DEATH SENTENCES
A Bahraini Appeal Court upheld three death sentences and seven life terms against a group convicted of
- MAY 31, 2016BahrainDEATH PENALTY
BAHRAIN: DEATH SENTENCES FOR ATTACK ON POLICE UPHELD
A Bahraini appeals court upheld death sentences for three Shiites convicted of killing three policemen in a
- JANUARY 1, 2016BahrainDEATH PENALTY
The offences for which capital punishment either can or must
The offences for which capital punishment either can or must
NOVEMBER 16, 2015BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN REJECTS DEATH SENTENCE APPEAL BY 2 OVER 2014 BOMBING
Authorities in Bahrain say an appeal by two men sentenced to death over the bombing that killed a police officer in 2014 has been rejected.
- FEBRUARY 26, 2015BahrainDEATH PENALTY
BAHRAIN: KILLERS OF UAE OFFICER GET DEATH SENTENCE
Three men were sentenced to death by a Bahrain court and seven others were given a life term for killing
- JANUARY 1, 2015BahrainDEATH PENALTY
The offences for which capital punishment either can or must
The offences for which capital punishment either can or must
- AUGUST 31, 2014BahrainDEATH PENALTY
BAHRAIN: COP KILLER GETS DEATH SENTENCE
The High Criminal Appeals Court upheld the death sentence given to a Bahraini man convicted in