Rwanda
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Abolitionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · Capital crimes are: murder, robbery, sorcery, offenses...
- News items in the archive
- 141
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Rwanda is classified as Abolitionist 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 141 news items on Rwanda, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- JUNE 8, 2007RwandaDEATH PENALTY
RWANDA. COUNTRY SCRAPS DEATH PENALTY
Rwanda's parliament voted to abolish the death penalty, a move that should clear the way for
- MAY 31, 2007RwandaDEATH PENALTY
RWANDA TO SCRAP DEATH PENALTY END-JULY
Rwanda said a law abolishing the death penality would come into force at the end of July, six months after
- APRIL 14, 2007RwandaDEATH PENALTY
RWANDA. PRESIDENT KAGAME AND FORMER EU ENVOY DISCUSS DEATH PENALTY
the former European Union Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region, Mr
- JANUARY 19, 2007RwandaDEATH PENALTY
RWANDA 'TO SCRAP DEATH PENALTY'
Rwanda's cabinet has voted to scrap the death penalty, Justice Minister Tharcisse Karugarama says.
- JANUARY 1, 2007RwandaDEATH PENALTY
Rwanda is the first African country in the Great Lakes region to abolish the death penalty
Rwanda is the first African country in the Great Lakes region to abolish the death penalty
- DECEMBER 15, 2006RwandaDEATH PENALTY
RWANDA. THE DEATH PENALTY HAS NOT BENEFITED US, MINISTER
Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure, Stanislas Kamanzi, appealed to the people of Gicumbi to support the government's proposal to scrap the death penalty.
- OCTOBER 19, 2006RwandaDEATH PENALTY
RWANDA: POLITICAL PARTIES APPROVE SCRAPPING OF DEATH PENALTY FROM PENAL CODE
the forum for political parties unanimously approved the scrapping of the death penalty from the country's penal code, in what it said would "serve the interest of the Rwandan society and give a true meaning life."
- OCTOBER 12, 2006RwandaDEATH PENALTY
RWANDA. RULING PARTY TO VOTE ON ABOLISHING DEATH PENALTY
Rwanda's ruling party will push for a law abolishing the death penalty in the east African state, a senior party official said. Outlawing capital punishment would clear the way for the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and western countries to
- SEPTEMBER 5, 2006RwandaDEATH PENALTY
RWANDA. PARLIAMENT TO VOTE ON ABOLISHING DEATH PENALTY
Rwanda will pass a law ending capital punishment by December 2006 to encourage European countries to extradite suspected masterminds of the genocide that occurred in the country in 1994. Unless the country abolishes capital punishment, it will not be ab
- AUGUST 16, 2006RwandaDEATH PENALTY
RWANDA MAY REVIEW DEATH PENALTY
Rwanda is to consider a proposal to scrap the death penalty for genocide suspects living in exile.
- APRIL 11, 2006RwandaDEATH PENALTY
RWANDA. MPANGA PRISON FOR DEATH ROW INMATES
the recently constructed state-of-the-art Mpanga maximum security prison in the Southern Province has been earmarked by the Ministry of Internal Security to accommodate death row inmates and those who have been condemned to life imprisonment.
- APRIL 9, 2006RwandaDEATH PENALTY
RWANDA. VILLAGE COURTS COULD PASS DEATH SENTENCES, DAILY TELEGRAPH
human rights groups claim that the village courts, set up in Rwanda in 2001 to deal with a crippling backlog of genocide cases, are being hijacked by villagers using the pretence of genocide allegations to settle land disputes and family feuds.
- MARCH 30, 2006RwandaDEATH PENALTY
RWANDA. DEATH PENALTY COULD BE WAIVED - KAGAME
the Rwandan government will consider lifting capital punishment on genocide suspects whose extradition is subject to the condition that they will not face the death penalty, President Paul Kagame said.
- JANUARY 1, 2006RwandaDEATH PENALTY
The capital crimes in Rwanda are murder, robbery, sorcery...
The capital crimes in Rwanda are murder, robbery, sorcery, offences against the State, genocide and crimes against humanity.
- JUNE 29, 2005CanadaDEATH PENALTY
RWANDA. NO DEATH PENALTY IF CANADA DEPORTS GENOCIDE SUSPECT
Rwanda was ready to forego seeking the death penalty to ensure that Leon Mugesera was returned from Canada to face charges related to the 1994 genocide, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Martin Ngoga said.
- JANUARY 3, 2005RwandaDEATH PENALTY
human rights groups and other non-government organisations in Rwanda appealed...
human rights groups and other non-government organisations in Rwanda appealed...
- JANUARY 1, 2005RwandaDEATH PENALTY
The capital crimes in Rwanda are murder, robbery, sorcery, offences against the State, genocide and crimes against humanity.
The capital crimes in Rwanda are murder, robbery, sorcery, offences against the State, genocide and crimes against humanity.
- NOVEMBER 6, 2004RwandaDEATH PENALTY
Between 1994 and 2003, the National Courts in Rwanda tried over 5,000 genocide cases
Between 1994 and 2003, the National Courts in Rwanda tried over 5,000 genocide cases
- SEPTEMBER 13, 2004RwandaDEATH PENALTY
Rwandan President Paul Kagame said he would support...
Rwandan President Paul Kagame said he would support abolishing the death penalty for genocide suspects held by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania, if the prisoners were to be transferred to Rwandan national jurisdiction
- SEPTEMBER 13, 2004RwandaDEATH PENALTY
Rwandan President Paul Kagame said he would support...
Rwandan President Paul Kagame said he would support abolishing the death penalty for genocide suspects held by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania, if the prisoners were to be transferred to Rwandan national jurisdiction
- AUGUST 31, 2004RwandaDEATH PENALTY
Rwanda would not waive the death penalty, the country's...
Rwanda would not waive the death penalty, the country's representative to the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal (ICTR) for Rwanda said
- JUNE 2, 2004RwandaDEATH PENALTY
Rwandan tribunals sentenced 18 people to death in 2003...
Rwandan tribunals sentenced 18 people to death in 2003 for their participation in the 1994 genocide, according to Amnesty International in a report it released the previous week on the state of human rights in the world
- APRIL 21, 2004RwandaDEATH PENALTY
It was reported that in the past week nine other people...
It was reported that in the past week nine other people were sentenced to death by the Kaduha Court of First Instance in Rwanda for the murder of Emille Ndahimana
- APRIL 11, 2004RwandaDEATH PENALTY
The capital crimes in Rwanda are murder, robbery, sorcery, offences against the State, genocide and crimes against humanity.
The capital crimes in Rwanda are murder, robbery, sorcery, offences against the State, genocide and crimes against humanity.
- MARCH 5, 2004RwandaDEATH PENALTY
A Rwandan court sentenced nine people to death and...
A Rwandan court sentenced nine people to death and one to life imprisonment over the killing of a survivor who was due to testify about their role in the country's 1994 genocide
- MARCH 1, 2004RwandaDEATH PENALTY
Amnesty International declared itself very concerned...
Amnesty International declared itself very concerned at the prospect of renewed judicial executions in Burundi
- FEBRUARY 27, 2004RwandaDEATH PENALTY
Five people were sentenced to death for the murder...
Five people were sentenced to death for the murder of Charles Rutinduka, a genocide survivor killed on 26 November 2003, in Kaduha, Gikongoro Province
- AUGUST 1, 2003RwandaDEATH PENALTY
A Rwandan court in Gikonko convicted 105 people of...
A Rwandan court in Gikonko convicted 105 people of involvement in the central African country's 1994 genocide, with 11 of them getting the death penalty
- JANUARY 1, 2003RwandaDEATH PENALTY
Capital crimes are: murder, robbery, sorcery, offenses...
Capital crimes are: murder, robbery, sorcery, offenses against the State and crimes against humanity
- JANUARY 1, 2003RwandaDEATH PENALTY
The government of Rwanda maintains a list of genocide...
The government of Rwanda maintains a list of genocide suspects, which is divided into four categories, ranging from alleged planners and killers to those who looted or committed other less serious crimes