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
- 2,785
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 2,785 news items on China, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
MAY 20, 2025ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: EX-POLITICAL ADVISER GETS SUSPENDED DEATH PENALTY
Han Yong, a former senior national political adviser, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on May 19, 2025 for accepting bribes, a court in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region announced.
- MAY 19, 2025ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: FORMER CHIP BOSS GETS SUSPENDED DEATH SENTENCE IN CORRUPTION CASE
A Chinese court handed Zhao Weiguo, the former chairman of semiconductor firm Tsinghua Unigroup, a suspended death sentence on May 14, 2025 after he was found guilty of corruption and embezzlement, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
MAY 17, 2025ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: 3 MEN CONVICTED OF RAPING MINORS EXECUTED
Three sex offenders convicted of sexually assaulting minors were executed in China on May 15, 2025, according to an official statement from the Supreme People's Court (SPC), the country's highest court.
- APRIL 23, 2025ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA GIVES SUSPENDED DEATH SENTENCE TO FORMER XINJIANG OFFICIAL FOR CORRUPTION
Li Pengxin, a former senior official of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for accepting bribes totaling more than 822 million yuan ($112 million), according to a verdict on April 22, 2025.
APRIL 22, 2025ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: MAN WHO STABBED JAPANESE CHILD TO DEATH EXECUTED
A Chinese man convicted of fatally stabbing a 10-year-old Japanese schoolboy in Shenzhen, southern China, in September has been executed, a diplomatic source said on April 21, 2025.
- APRIL 17, 2025ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: SCHOOL BUS STOP MURDERER EXECUTED
A Chinese man convicted of killing a Chinese woman and injuring two Japanese nationals in a knife attack at a school bus stop near Shanghai last year was executed, Japanese government officials said April 17, 2025.
APRIL 7, 2025ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: POSTGRADUATE STUDENT SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR POISONING ROOMMATES
Zhou Liren, a postgraduate student at Xiangtan University in Hunan province, was sentenced to death and life-long deprivation of political rights on April 7, 2025 for poisoning his two roommates' food, killing one of them, according to the Xiangtan Interm
MARCH 27, 2025ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: METHAMPHETAMINE PRODUCER EXECUTED AFTER MASSIVE BATCH SEIZURE
The Intermediate People's Court of China’s Linyang City has confirmed the execution of a death sentence for a man convicted of producing and trafficking 200 kg of methamphetamine, Caliber.az reported on March 23, 2025.
- MARCH 20, 2025CanadaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA EXECUTED FOUR CANADIANS FOR DRUG CRIMES, SAYS OTTAWA
Four Canadians were executed in China on drug-related charges earlier this year, Canadian authorities confirmed on March 19, 2025.
MARCH 19, 2025ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: EX-ENGINEER TO BE EXECUTED FOR SPYING
A former Chinese engineer has been sentenced to death for leaking state secrets to a foreign power, Beijing's spy agency said on March 18, 2025.
MARCH 1, 2025ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: WOMAN EXECUTED FOR ABDUCTING, TRAFFICKING 17 CHILDREN
Yu Huaying, the woman convicted of abducting and trafficking 17 children, was executed on February 28, 2025, according to a court statement.
FEBRUARY 24, 2025ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR EX-HUARONG EXECUTIVE IN BRIBERY CASE
A Chinese court on February 24, 2025 upheld the death sentence for Bai Tianhui, former general manager of China Huarong International Holdings
- FEBRUARY 23, 2025ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: FORMER VICE-PRESIDENT OF ICBC SENTENCED TO DEATH
Zhang Hongli, former vice-president of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for the crime of accepting bribes by a court in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province, on February 19, 2025.
- FEBRUARY 18, 2025ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: EX-JIANGSU LEGISLATOR SENTENCED FOR CORRUPTION
A former senior legislator in eastern China's Jiangsu province was given a suspended death sentence for taking bribes, abusing his power and illegally trading landuse rights, a court in the central province of Hubei announced on February 17, 2025.
- JANUARY 28, 2025ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: TWO MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER SEPARATE DEADLY KNIFE ATTACKS
Two men were sentenced to death on January 24, 2025 for separate deadly stabbings in China.
- JANUARY 23, 2025ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: DEATH PENALTY UPHELD FOR MAN CONVICTED OF TRAFFICKING CHILDREN
A higher court on January 21, 2025 upheld the death sentence for Wang Haowen, who was convicted of trafficking children.
JANUARY 20, 2025ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: TWO MEN EXECUTED FOR COMMITTING DEADLY ‘REVENGE ON SOCIETY CRIMES’
China has executed two men who committed deadly attacks that killed dozens in November, raising concerns about a surge in what are called “revenge on society crimes”, state media reported.
DECEMBER 30, 2024ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: TEENAGER SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR MURDERING CLASSMATE
A teenager, the mastermind in the killing of his classmate early this year, has been sentenced to life in prison for intentional homicide, according to a court in Handan, Hebei province on December 30, 2024.
- DECEMBER 24, 2024ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: SUSPENDED DEATH SENTENCE FOR DRIVER IN SCHOOL ATTACK
A man in Changde, Hunan province, was sentenced to death with two years' reprieve on December 23, 2024 for committing the crime of using dangerous means to harm public security, according to Xinhua News Agency.
- DECEMBER 23, 2024ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: MAN GIVEN CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR KILLING OF A JUDGE
A man who fatally stabbed a judge over dissatisfaction with her ruling was sentenced to death by a court in China's Henan province, local authorities said on December 23, 2024.
- DECEMBER 19, 2024ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: HIGH COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE OF YU HUAYING FOR CHILD ABDUCTING AND TRAFFICKING
The Guizhou Provincial High People's Court in Southwest China on December 19, 2024 upheld the death sentence of Yu Huaying, who was charged with abducting and trafficking 17 children.
- DECEMBER 17, 2024ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: FORMER INNER MONGOLIA OFFICIAL EXECUTED FOR CORRUPTION-RELATED CRIMES
Li Jianping, a former official in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, was executed on December 17, 2024.
DECEMBER 9, 2024ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: FATHER SENTENCED TO LIFE, GIRLFRIEND TO DEATH FOR ABUSE AND KILLING OF GIRL
The father of a 3-year-old girl was sentenced to life imprisonment, and his girlfriend received the death penalty on December 6, 2024 for the brutal abuse and killing of the child in Manzhouli, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
- DECEMBER 2, 2024ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR PUSHING WIFE INTO SEA, USING INSURANCE PAYOUT ON PROSTITUTES
A man in China was sentenced to death after pushing his wife into the sea from a ferry and attempting to claim her life insurance compensation to pay off debts and finance the use of prostitutes.
- NOVEMBER 26, 2024ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: EX-BANK OF CHINA CHAIRMAN GETS SUSPENDED DEATH SENTENCE FOR BRIBERY
A court in China's Shandong province gave former Bank of China chairman Liu Liange a suspended death sentence on November 26, 2024 for bribery and illegal loan issuance, state media reported.
- NOVEMBER 14, 2024ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: 3 CHILD RAPISTS EXECUTED
Three convicted child sex offenders were executed in China on November 13, 2024, according to an official statement from the Supreme People's Court, the country's highest court.
- NOVEMBER 6, 2024ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA SAYS EX-GOVERNMENT WORKER TO BE EXECUTED FOR SPYING
A former high-level Chinese government employee has been sentenced to death for leaking state secrets to a foreign power, Beijing's spy agency said on November 6, 2024.
- OCTOBER 28, 2024ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: CHILD TRAFFICKER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TRAFFICKING 17 CHILDREN AFTER RETRIAL
The Guiyang Intermediate People's Court on October 25, 2024 pronounced death sentence to Yu Huaying, a 60-year-old woman who was found guilty of child trafficking and abduction, after a retrial in Guizhou province.
- OCTOBER 17, 2024ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: FORMER DEPUTY CENTRAL BANK HEAD GETS SUSPENDED DEATH SENTENCE FOR TAKING BRIBES
China's former deputy central bank governor, Fan Yifei, has been sentenced to death for taking bribes with a two-year reprieve, state media said on October 10, 2024, amid a sweeping anti-graft drive in the financial sector.
- SEPTEMBER 9, 2024ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: COMMUNIST PARTY OFFICIAL SENTENCED TO DEATH IN CHINA’S LARGEST CORRUPTION CASE
A former Chinese Communist Party official, accused of embezzling a staggering USD 421 million - the largest-ever corruption case in China's history, on August 27, 2024 was sentenced to death by a court in Inner Mongolia.