China
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 · In January, the Nanyang Intermediate People's Court...
- News items in the archive
- 2,796
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
China 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 2,796 news items on China, from 1999 to today.
China is believed to carry out more executions than any other country, but the figure is a state secret: no official statistics exist, and the known cases are those reported by the press or heard in public trials. Capital punishment applies to a large number of offences, including economic and drug offences, and the system also provides for a death sentence with a two year suspension, which in practice is often converted into life imprisonment.
The news on this page is a small part of what happens, and it is the part that can be documented.
Latest news
- AUGUST 22, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTY
The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court, in China
The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court, in China
- AUGUST 17, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTY
an Intermediate court in Tibet’s Ngaba region has sentenced a Tibetan man
an Intermediate court in Tibet’s Ngaba region has sentenced a Tibetan man
- AUGUST 15, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA TO STOP USING ORGANS FROM EXECUTED PRISONERS IN TRANSPLANTS
Huang Jiefu, head of the Health Ministry's organ transplant office, said China would start phasing
- AUGUST 15, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTY
A court in China’s western Sichuan province sentenced a Tibetan man to death in connection with
A court in China’s western Sichuan province sentenced a Tibetan man to death in connection with
- AUGUST 15, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTY
China says it plans to phase out the harvesting of organs
China says it plans to phase out the harvesting of organs
AUGUST 15, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA TO STOP USING ORGANS FROM EXECUTED PRISONERS IN TRANSPLANTS
Huang Jiefu, head of the Health Ministry's organ transplant office, said China would start
- AUGUST 12, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTY
a court in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
a court in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
AUGUST 12, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: 2 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR XINJIANG TERRORIST ATTACK
A court in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region sentenced two men to death and another three to prison for taking part in a violent attack that happened on 23 April.
AUGUST 8, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: UYGHUR SERVING LIFE SENTENCE DIES MYSTERIOUSLY
A Uyghur teacher sentenced to life in prison for “anti-state” activities in China’s troubled Xinjiang
- JULY 25, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA - Man who murdered a pregnant woman executed, state media report
A man who murdered a pregnant woman in China to sell her corpse as a "ghost bride" has been executed
JULY 24, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: EX-OFFICIAL GETS DEATH FOR GRAFT
A former official in China has been awarded death sentence with a two-year reprieve for taking
JULY 24, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINESE WOMAN GETS DEATH FOR TRYING TO SMUGGLE HEROIN OUT OF VIETNAM
A Chinese woman was sentenced to death in Hanoi for trying to smuggle nearly four
JULY 21, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE
A man in east China's Anhui province was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve
- JULY 20, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: 5 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
A court in east China's Shandong Province announced that it has sentenced five
JULY 13, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: COURT EXECUTES MAN WITHOUT TELLING FAMILY
A Chinese court executed a man on death row without notifying his family and then defended its actions, sparking anger online, local media reported.
JULY 8, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: SUSPENDED DEATH SENTENCE FOR EX-RAILWAY MINISTER
China's former railways minister Liu Zhijun was given a suspended death sentence for "especially
- JULY 6, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: MARRIED MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR KEEPING SIX WOMEN AS SEX SLAVES
Li Hao, 35, a former government employee of central China, was sentenced to death after being convicted
JULY 3, 2013PhilippinesDEATH PENALTYCHINA: FILIPINA DRUG MULE EXECUTED
A Filipina sentenced to death for drug trafficking in China was executed by lethal injection, the
- JULY 2, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: HIGHER PEOPLE'S COURT REVOKES DEATH SENTENCES OF 4 MEN AFTER 16 YEARS
A Chinese court overturned the death sentences of four men for robbing and killing two taxi
JULY 2, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: WOMAN EXECUTED FOR POISONING MILK
a woman received a lethal injection for lacing milk with nitrite, which killed three children and
JUNE 25, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: 3 EXECUTED, 4 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
three men were executed in south China's Hainan Province for trafficking methamphetamine,
JUNE 25, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: 3 EXECUTED, 2 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
two men, Yang Jiande and Yuan Tingchang, were executed in east China's Fujian Province for trafficking
- JUNE 22, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTY
two foreigners were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve
two foreigners were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve
- JUNE 21, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTY
the southern Kien Giang Province People’s Court, in China...
the southern Kien Giang Province People’s Court, in China...
JUNE 20, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: MAN GETS DEATH FOR KILLING 7 IN 9 DAYS
A man who went on a killing spree across three provinces with a friend last year received
- JUNE 19, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: AUTHORITIES THREATEN DEATH PENALTY FOR SERIOUS POLLUTERS
Chinese authorities have given courts the powers to hand down the death penalty in serious
JUNE 18, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: OFFICIAL EXECUTED FOR RAPING GIRLS
An official in central China's Henan Province was executed for raping 11 underage girls, sources with the Henan Provincial Higher People's Court confirmed.
- MAY 30, 2013VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: SUPREME PEOPLE'S COURT CONFIRMS DEATH FOR CHINESE DRUG MULE
In Vietnam, the Supreme People’s Court upheld the death penalty handed down by a provincial
- MAY 15, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTY
the former deputy police chief of the Chinese megacity
the former deputy police chief of the Chinese megacity
MAY 15, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: WOMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR ‘ILLEGAL’ FUNDRAISING
A court in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang sentenced to death a woman convicted