Ghana
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Abolitionist de facto
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · Armed robbery, treason and first-degree murder are...
- News items in the archive
- 137
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Ghana is classified as Abolitionist de facto 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 137 news items on Ghana, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
JANUARY 25, 2024GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: SIX SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR 2021 COUP PLOT
A Ghana court on January 24, 2024 sentenced six people to death by hanging, including three soldiers, for their involvement in an alleged plot three years ago to overthrow the country's government.
AUGUST 10, 2023GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: FATHER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR OFFERING SON AS SACRIFICE
An Accra High Court has sentenced to death a 33-year-old man for throwing his two-year-old son into the sea at Akuma Village, Accra, as sacrifice in his bid to become rich, Ghana News Agency reported on August 10, 2023.
JULY 26, 2023GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: PARLIAMENT VOTES TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY
Ghana's parliament on July 25, 2023 voted to abolish the death penalty, making the country the latest of several African nations that have moved to repeal capital punishment in recent years.
MAY 2, 2023GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: ASABKE ALANDI SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING FOR ADAMS MAHAMA’S MURDER
An Accra High Court has sentenced to death Asabke Alandgi, one of two persons accused of the murder of Adams Mahama, a former Upper East Regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Pulse reported on 28 April 2023.
- NOVEMBER 7, 2022GhanaDEATH PENALTY
GHANA: PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO WANTS DEATH PENALTY ABOLISHED
President Akufo-Addo has joined the campaign to get the death penalty expunged from the country’s laws.
OCTOBER 24, 2022GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: JUSTICE SAMUEL ASIEDU ADVOCATES ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY
Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu Asiedu, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, nominated to the Supreme Court, has advocated the abolition of the Death Penalty.
SEPTEMBER 27, 2022GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: 34-YEAR-OLD MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING
Cape Coast High Court in the Central Region of Ghana has sentenced a 34-year-old man to death by hanging for murder, Ghana Web reported on 20 September 2022.
JUNE 16, 2022GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: FETISH PRIEST SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SACRIFICING WIFE AND DAUGHTER TO GODS
A 38-year old Ghanaian fetish priest who killed his wife and daughter and sacrificed them to his idols has been sentenced to death, Pulse reported on 3 June 2022.
MARCH 6, 2021GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: TWO NIGERIANS TO DIE BY HANGING FOR KIDNAPPING, KILLING FOUR GIRLS
Two Nigerians who were accused of kidnapping and eventually killing four girls in Takoradi, Ghana, were on 5 March 2021 afternoon sentenced to death by a court in the country after they were found guilty of murder.
JULY 6, 2020GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO GRANTS AMNESTY TO 794 PRISONERS
President Akufo-Addo has granted amnesty to 794 prisoners in Ghana as part of efforts to decongest the prisons in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
MAY 16, 2020GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: JUSTICE HONYENUGA CALLS FOR THE REPEAL OF DEATH PENALTY
A nominee to the Supreme Court, Justice Clemence Jackson Honyenuga has called for the scrapping of the death penalty from the country’s statutes.
- JANUARY 1, 2020GhanaDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty has been in Ghana’s statute books since the inception
The death penalty has been in Ghana’s statute books since the inception
JUNE 17, 2019GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER MURDER OF STEPMOTHER HE ACCUSED OF WITCHCRAFT
A 38-year-old man who murdered his stepmother on the accusation of witchcraft in 2010 has been sentenced to death by the Tamale High Court, ghanawebonline reported on 16 June 2019.
APRIL 15, 2019GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: TWO TO BE HANGED FOR KILLING EX-POLICEMAN
Twelve years after killing an ex-policeman the two killers have been sentenced to death by hanging, Ghanaweb reported on 13 April 2019.
- JANUARY 1, 2019GhanaDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty has been in Ghana’s statute books since the inception
The death penalty has been in Ghana’s statute books since the inception
- SEPTEMBER 17, 2018GhanaDEATH PENALTY
GHANA: TWO UNIVERSITY STUDENTS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING A PASTOR
Two students of the Tamale Technical University (TaTU) have been sentenced to death by hanging for murdering the Head Pastor of the End Time Believers Bible Fellowship in Tamale last year, kyfilla.com reported on September 15, 2018.
JULY 31, 2018GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: TWO TAMALE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS SENTENCED TO DEATH
The Tamale High Court in the Northern region has convicted two students to death for killing a pastor in a robbery attack 10 months ago.
- JULY 12, 2018GhanaDEATH PENALTY
GHANA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING A WOMAN AFTER DENYING HIM SEX
Tamale High Court has sentenced a 35-year-old farmer, who reportedly killed a woman for refusing him.
MARCH 27, 2018GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: DRIVER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING BRITISH MISSIONARY
A driver in Ghana has been sentenced to death after murdering and burying a British Missionary in a farm at Nsawam in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
- JANUARY 1, 2018GhanaDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty has been in Ghana’s statute books since the inception
The death penalty has been in Ghana’s statute books since the inception
- NOVEMBER 24, 2017GhanaDEATH PENALTY
22-year-old man gets death sentence for killing 2 Americans at Akwamufie
24 November 2017: a High Court in Accra has sentenced a 22-year-old man, Yaw Anokye, to death by hanging for the gruesome murder of two African-American women at Akwamufie in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region, in May 2015.
- NOVEMBER 4, 2017GhanaDEATH PENALTY
Man sentenced to death in Akwa Ibom for kidnapping
4 November 2017: the Akwa Ibom High Court 2, Abak Division, has sentenced a middle aged man, Robinson Offiong, to death over the kidnap of one Mfon Tim on June 2, 2014 at Itung Abak in Abak area.
- JULY 28, 2017GhanaDEATH PENALTY
Court sentences 24-year woman to death for murder
28 July 2017: a 24-year old woman has been sentenced to death by a Kumasi High Court, presided over by Justice Charles Adjei Wilson, for the murder of a little boy – the only child of his mother.
- JULY 13, 2017GhanaDEATH PENALTY
No hangman to execute Ghana's death row convicts
13 July 2017: Director of Administration at the Prison Service Stephen Coffie has disclosed that the hangman whose duty it was to professionally execute the death sentence has long left the system.
- JANUARY 1, 2017GhanaDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty has been in Ghana’s statute books since the inception
The death penalty has been in Ghana’s statute books since the inception
OCTOBER 20, 2016GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: FARMER SENTENCED TO DEATH
A High Court in Tamale, presided by Mr. Justice Charles Gyamfi Danquah, has sentenced a 21-year-old
- OCTOBER 10, 2016GhanaDEATH PENALTY
GHANA'S PRISONS OVERCROWDED BY 3,810 INMATES
Ghana's 43 prisons are designed to accommodate 9,875 prisoners but are currently holding 13,685 prisoners.
SEPTEMBER 1, 2016GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: 137 PRISONERS INCLUDING 3 WOMEN UNDER DEATH ROW
Director of Amnesty International Ghana, Lawrence Amesu, has revealed that close to 137 prisoners including three women are currently under death row awaiting execution.
- JULY 4, 2016GhanaDEATH PENALTY
GHANA: COURT SENTENCES 22-YEAR-OLD WOMAN TO DEATH BY HANGING IN TAMALE
A Tamale High Court has sentenced a 22-year-old woman, Zelia Sulemana, to death by hanging for murder.
- JANUARY 1, 2016GhanaDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty has been in Ghana’s statute books since the inception
The death penalty has been in Ghana’s statute books since the inception