Egypt
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 · Capital crimes are: aggravated murder, arson, rape,...
- News items in the archive
- 626
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Egypt 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 626 news items on Egypt, from 1999 to today.
In Egypt capital punishment is applied both by the ordinary courts and by terrorism courts, and sentences not infrequently come at the end of collective trials with dozens of defendants. The method is hanging.
Human rights organisations report sentences founded on contested confessions and limits on the right to a defence. The archive gathers sentences, executions and the individual cases the association follows.
Latest news
JANUARY 31, 2018EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: SENTENCED TO DEATH TO 19 FOR CHURCH ATTACK
an Egyptian court sentenced 19 Muslim defendants to a suspended sentence of one year for attacking an unlicensed church south of Cairo.
JANUARY 31, 2018EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT COURT ASKS MUFTI TO WEIGH IN ON DEATH SENTENCES FOR 10
An Egyptian court has referred the case of 10 alleged Muslim Brotherhood members held on terrorism charges to the country's top religious authority, the Grand Mufti, for a non-binding opinion on whether they can be executed.
- JANUARY 30, 2018EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: ONE AGED 25 EXECUTED
Tayseer Odeh Sulaiman, aged 25, was executed on January 30, 2018.
JANUARY 24, 2018EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT EXECUTES MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING ARMY OFFICER
Egyptian prison authorities have executed an Egyptian man on charges of killing an Egyptian army officer in the Ismailia province in 2013.
- JANUARY 23, 2018EgyptDEATH PENALTY
Egypt: Three executions were carried out for rape in Burj Al Arab Prison
23 January 2018: Three executions were carried out for rape in Burj Al Arab Prison
- JANUARY 20, 2018EgyptDEATH PENALTY
the Court of Cassation upheld death sentences passed down on three defendants over the murder of a high-ranking police officer in rural Kerdasa town in September 2013 in the aftermath of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi’s ouster.
the Court of Cassation upheld death sentences passed down on three defendants over the murder of a high-ranking police officer in rural Kerdasa town in September 2013 in the aftermath of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi’s ouster.
- JANUARY 20, 2018EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT COURT SENTENCES 3 TO DEATH OVER OFFICER’S DEATH
Egypt’s highest appellate court upheld death sentences handed down against three people for killing a senior police officer in 2013.
- JANUARY 18, 2018EgyptDEATH PENALTY
according to Human Right Watch 2018 Report: “Since July 2013, Egyptian criminal courts have sentenced over 800
according to Human Right Watch 2018 Report: “Since July 2013, Egyptian criminal courts have sentenced over 800
- JANUARY 15, 2018EgyptDEATH PENALTY
North Cairo Criminal court issues final verdict in the trial of a man charged with killing a Coptic priest and injuring another in Cairo.
North Cairo Criminal court issues final verdict in the trial of a man charged with killing a Coptic priest and injuring another in Cairo.
JANUARY 9, 2018EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT COURT SEEKS EXECUTION OF 13 EGYPTIAN, YEMENI DRUG DEALERS
An Egyptian court recommended the execution of 13 defendants including eight Egyptians and five Yemenis over drug smuggling, state-run MENA news agency reported.
- JANUARY 8, 2018EgyptDEATH PENALTY
three defendants, Mohammed Gamal al-Sayyed Ateyya, Mohammed Misbah Abd al-Haqq al-Sayyed, and Mohammed Ibrahim al-Baz, were executed
9 january 2018: three defendants, Mohammed Gamal al-Sayyed Ateyya, Mohammed Misbah Abd al-Haqq al-Sayyed, and Mohammed Ibrahim al-Baz, were executed
- JANUARY 5, 2018EgyptDEATH PENALTY
Liz Throssell, the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Liz Throssell, the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
- JANUARY 3, 2018EgyptDEATH PENALTY
the number of civilians sentenced to death in Egypt's military courts leapt from 60 in 2016 to at least 112 in 2017,
the number of civilians sentenced to death in Egypt's military courts leapt from 60 in 2016 to at least 112 in 2017,
JANUARY 2, 2018EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: FIVE PRISONERS HANGED DAYS AFTER MASS EXECUTION
Egyptian prison authorities executed five inmates who had been sentenced to death, four of them over a bombing that killed military cadets, security officials said.
- JANUARY 1, 2018EgyptDEATH PENALTY
The Egyptian Constitution makes no reference to the death penalty.
The Egyptian Constitution makes no reference to the death penalty.
- JANUARY 1, 2018EgyptDEATH PENALTY
The West Cairo Military Court sentenced one person to death and four others to life in prison in relation to an attack on the Embassy of Niger in Giza in July 2015, in which one policeman was killed.
1 January 2018: the West Cairo Military Court sentenced one person to death and four others to life in prison in relation to an attack on the Embassy of Niger in Giza in July 2015, in which one policeman was killed.
- JANUARY 1, 2018EgyptDEATH PENALTY
an Egyptian military court issued preliminary death sentenced against eight defendants on a charge of murdering a senior police officer in Cairo in 2015.
an Egyptian military court issued preliminary death sentenced against eight defendants on a charge of murdering a senior police officer in Cairo in 2015.
DECEMBER 26, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT HANGS 15 OVER ATTACKS ON SECURITY FORCES: OFFICIALS
Egyptian authorities executed 15 prisoners convicted of attacks on security forces in the restive Sinai Peninsula, police officials said.
- DECEMBER 17, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: MILITARY COURT ISSUES 14 DEATH SENTENCES
A military court sentenced 14 people from Alexandria to death over claims of planting explosives in front of government offices, killing and wounding a number of citizens.
DECEMBER 14, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE AGAINST 3 FOR KILLING JUDGE’S SON
Egypt’s Court of Cassation upheld the death sentence against three people on charges of killing a judge’s son in the city of Mansoura in September 2014.
- DECEMBER 7, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: GRAND MUFTI AFFIRMS DEATH SENTENCES FOR 13 AJNAD MISR TERRORISTS
A criminal court in Egypt's Giza has sentenced 13 members of the terrorist group Ajnad Misr to death after the country's top Muslim legal authority consented to the punishment, following their conviction for attacking security forces.
DECEMBER 6, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTYAFRICAN UNION CALLS ON EGYPT TO 'IMMEDIATELY' SUSPEND DEATH SENTENCES
The African Union has called on the Egyptian government to repeal the death sentence in 20 new cases.
- NOVEMBER 28, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: MILITARY COURT SENTENCES 11 ANSAR BEIT AL-MAQDIS MEMBERS TO DEATH
An Egyptian military court issued a preliminary death sentence against 11 members of the Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis terrorist group who were convicted of involvement in a series of attacks committed in 2014 and 2015, including the 2015 bombing of the Italian co
- NOVEMBER 25, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: CAIRO COURT SENTENCES TO DEATH 7 ELEMENTS OF MATROUH CELL
The Cairo Criminal Court sentenced to death seven terrorists of the Daesh-affiliated "Matrouh cell" on charges of beheading 21 Egyptian Copts working in Libya in February 2015.
- NOVEMBER 23, 2017United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
ANTI-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 15, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: COURT ISSUES PRELIMINARY DEATH SENTENCE FOR MAN CONVICTED OF KILLING COPTIC PRIEST
A South Giza criminal court issued a preliminary death sentence against a man convicted of killing Coptic Orthodox priest Samaan Shehata in Cairo last October.
NOVEMBER 14, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTY14 EGYPTIANS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR ALLEGEDLY KILLING SOLDIER
An Egyptian military court has referred the files of 14 defendants to the country’s top religious authority, the Grand Mufti, seeking his approval of their execution.
- NOVEMBER 7, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: TOP COURT ORDERS RETRIAL OF 7 SENTENCED TO DEATH, JAIL OVER TERROR CHARGES
Egypt's top court cancelled the execution verdict of one defendant and the 10-year jail sentences of six others and ordered their retrial over forming a terrorist cell to carry out anti-government activities, official MENA news agency reported.
- OCTOBER 10, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: SAUDI SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING LIBYAN WIFE
A 26-year-old Saudi national studying in Egypt was sentenced to death in absentia by a court in Alexandria for murdering his Libyan-born wife, according to Sabq newspaper
OCTOBER 8, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTYCOURT SENTENCES 13 OF ‘SOLDIERS OF EGYPT’ TO DEATH’
Thirteen convicts out of 44 were sentenced to death over charges of killing police personnel in a case dubbed in the media as “Soldiers of Egypt Cell.”