Taiwan
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 1
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · In November 1997, the Parliament approved the death...
- News items in the archive
- 282
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Taiwan is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 1 the year before. The archive holds 282 news items on Taiwan, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- OCTOBER 21, 2002TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
The prosecutor-general of the Shihlin District Prosecutors'...
The prosecutor-general of the Shihlin District Prosecutors' office, Wu Chen-huan, said that abolishing the death penalty is a policy and it has nothing to do with morality
- OCTOBER 21, 2002TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
The Taiwan government says it will abolish capital...
The Taiwan government says it will abolish capital punishment by 2004, but a recent poll saw 77% of its respondents express opposition
- OCTOBER 16, 2002TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
President Chen Shui-bian said that Taiwan will gradually...
President Chen Shui-bian said that Taiwan will gradually phase out capital punishment in line with its protection of human rights
- OCTOBER 9, 2002TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
On October 9, 2002, Taiwan took the first step towards...
On October 9, 2002, Taiwan took the first step towards abolishing the death penalty by dropping the sentence for teenagers under 18
- OCTOBER 9, 2002TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
Taiwan took the first step towards abolishing the death...
Taiwan took the first step towards abolishing the death penalty by dropping the sentence for teenagers under 18, who up until now could be condemned if found guilty of killing family members
- JULY 22, 2002TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
The abolition of the death penalty in Taiwan is not...
The abolition of the death penalty in Taiwan is not yet around the corner, but draft legislation that seeks to plug some of the law's weaknesses marks no small step in the government's efforts to get it out of the statute books eventually
- JUNE 26, 2002TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
Zhang Meixiu, a Taiwanese woman, was sentenced to death...
Zhang Meixiu, a Taiwanese woman, was sentenced to death by a court in Shantou city, south China's Guangdong province for trying to smuggle 427
- JUNE 13, 2002TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
The European Parliament approved a resolution calling...
The European Parliament approved a resolution calling on the parliaments of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan to intensify their efforts for a rapid abolition of the death penalty and for the introduction of a moratorium on executions
- MAY 21, 2002TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
The Ho Chi Minh City firing squad ended the life of...
The Ho Chi Minh City firing squad ended the life of Chen Chi Tian from Taiwan, aged 48, who was accused of processing methamphetamine chlohydrate(MA), a dangerous kind of addictive substance
- MAY 7, 2002TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
A Taiwanese man who stabbed his parents to death in...
A Taiwanese man who stabbed his parents to death in October 1998 was executed and his body donated for organ transplants, Taiwan television reported
- JANUARY 16, 2002TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
President Chen Shui-bian lauded a court decision to...
President Chen Shui-bian lauded a court decision to acquit three defendants who had been on death row for ten years as a ruling consistent with the latest concept of law
- JANUARY 8, 2002TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
Taiwan's Justice Ministry hailed the abolishment of...
Taiwan's Justice Ministry hailed the abolishment of a law that provided for the death penalty for kidnapping, gang robbery and other violent crimes as a crucial step that might lead to the scrapping of capital punishment within three years
- JANUARY 8, 2002TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
Taiwan's parliament decided to abolish the Retribution...
Taiwan's parliament decided to abolish the Retribution Act for Bandits to better protect the human rights of Taiwanese people, including the scrapping of compulsory death sentencing for various violent crimes
- JANUARY 1, 2002TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
In November 1997, the Parliament approved the death...
In November 1997, the Parliament approved the death penalty for gun-toting criminals, toughening already strict gun laws in the face of a public outcry over violent crime
- JANUARY 1, 2002TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
On may 17, 2001 Taiwan's Justice Minister Chen Ding-nan...
On may 17, 2001 Taiwan's Justice Minister Chen Ding-nan said he planned to abolish the death sentence before his term ends in 2004
- DECEMBER 6, 2001TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
The Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR) 2001...
The Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR) 2001 report praised a move by the armed forces to reduce the number of crimes that bore a mandatory death sentence
- OCTOBER 25, 2001TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
Chiu Tsung-shun was sentenced to death for gun-running
Chiu Tsung-shun was sentenced to death for gun-running
- OCTOBER 5, 2001TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
Taiwan is considering reinstating the death penalty...
Taiwan is considering reinstating the death penalty for currency counterfeiters in the face of rampant circulation of fake bills
- SEPTEMBER 20, 2001TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
China has executed two Taiwanese nationals who were...
China has executed two Taiwanese nationals who were condemned to death for murdering a third Taiwanese in order to claim his life insurance, according to a report seen here Thursday
- AUGUST 18, 2001TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
Mr Yumingyu, a 45 year old Taiwanese citizen, was sentenced...
Mr Yumingyu, a 45 year old Taiwanese citizen, was sentenced to death in Myanmar after being caught trying to smuggle 500 grams of heroin out of the country
- AUGUST 10, 2001TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
Zhuo Changren and Jiang Honjun, two Chinese defectors,...
Zhuo Changren and Jiang Honjun, two Chinese defectors, were executed for kidnapping and murdering a Taiwanese man in 1991
- JULY 30, 2001TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
Taiwan is looking at tightening procedures for harvesting...
Taiwan is looking at tightening procedures for harvesting organs from executed prisoners in reaction to allegations of human rights abuses, an official with the Bureau of Medical Affairs under the Department of Health, Chen I-an, said
- JUNE 25, 2001TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
During a large-scale meeting held as part of the strike-hard...
During a large-scale meeting held as part of the strike-hard campaign in China, five Taiwanese citizens who had gone to mainland China to manufacture, smuggle and deal drugs, were sentenced to death and executed by firing squad at an execution field in Xi
- JUNE 7, 2001TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
Lee Yihsiung a Taiwan drug trafficker was executed...
Lee Yihsiung a Taiwan drug trafficker was executed at the Taipei Prison, five years after he was arrested and escorted back to Taiwan from Thailand
- MAY 18, 2001TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
The Ministry of Justice said Taiwan's first step to...
The Ministry of Justice said Taiwan's first step to phase out capital punishment within the space of three years is to reduce the number of offences that lead only to the death penalty
- MAY 17, 2001TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
Premier Chang Chun-hsiung said formation of a new policy...
Premier Chang Chun-hsiung said formation of a new policy will require a public consensus
- MAY 17, 2001TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
Taiwan's Justice Minister Chen Ding-nan said he planned...
Taiwan's Justice Minister Chen Ding-nan said he planned to abolish the death sentence before his term ends in 2004
- APRIL 18, 2001TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
The Thai government executed Chu Chin-kuay, 33, a Taiwanese...
The Thai government executed Chu Chin-kuay, 33, a Taiwanese for drug trafficking
- JANUARY 1, 2001TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
In November 1997, the Parliament approved the death...
In November 1997, the Parliament approved the death penalty for gun-toting criminals, toughening already strict gun laws in the face of a public outcry over violent crime
- SEPTEMBER 22, 2000TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
Two mainland Chinese men were convicted of murder by...
Two mainland Chinese men were convicted of murder by the Supreme Court and sentenced to be executed