United Arab Emirates
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 3
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · Capital crimes are: murder, rape, treason, aggravated...
- News items in the archive
- 417
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
United Arab Emirates is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 3 the year before. The archive holds 417 news items on United Arab Emirates, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- NOVEMBER 29, 2006United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UAE. COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY FOR MAN WHO MURDERED LOVER
the Criminal Appeal Court in Ras Al Khaimah, the northern most emirate of the UAE, upheld the death penalty pronounced by the emirate's Criminal Court on Mohammad Asad, a 27-year-old Pakistani illegal immigrant convicted of murdering his lover with an axe
- NOVEMBER 22, 2006United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UAE. 'STONING' SENTENCE FOR ADULTERY COMMUTED
a woman escaped a sentence of 'death by stoning' after her sentence for adultery was commuted by an appeal court to one-year imprisonment, 40 lashes and deportation.
- NOVEMBER 2, 2006United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN. TWO MEN TO BE EXECUTED FOR RAPE SAVED FOLLOWING PARDON
a Pakistani national identified only as M.A., whose five-year-old daughter was raped and murdered in Sharjah, Pakistan, pardoned two men accused of the crime just before they were scheduled to be executed.
- OCTOBER 30, 2006United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
a firing squad executed a man who was sentenced to death for killing a Sharjah police officer.
a firing squad executed a man who was sentenced to death for killing a Sharjah police officer.
- OCTOBER 16, 2006United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UAE. MAN ESCAPES DEATH PENALTY, TO PAY BLOOD MONEY
it was reported that an Iraqi man who murdered a Saudi for attempting to sexually abuse his wife escaped death penalty when the father of the victim accepted diya (blood money) as per Sharia Law.
- OCTOBER 11, 2006United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UAE. CALL TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
a prominent UAE human rights activist has called for the abolition of the death penalty in the UAE, on the fourth annual World Day Against the Death Penalty.
- JUNE 23, 2006United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UAE. DEATH SENTENCE OVERRULED AS PROCEDURE LACKS PERMISSION
the Supreme Federal Court in Abu Dhabi, UAE, overruled a death penalty passed against an Asian expatriate convicted of selling 1/4kg of hashish to an undercover agent.
- JUNE 20, 2006BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. COURT COMMUTES DEATH BY STONING SENTENCE
a United Arab Emirates appeal court commuted to imprisonment a sentence of death by stoning handed down by a lower court against a Bangladeshi convicted of adultery. The court ordered Shaheen Abdel Rahman jailed for a year and then deported to his home co
- JUNE 18, 2006United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UAE. GARDENER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF WOMAN
the Sharjah Sharia Court of First Instance sentenced a Pakistani gardener to capital punishment for stabbing a newly-wed woman to death in Sharjah, UAE. The Sharjah Public Prosecution charged the 22-year-old, identified only as “S.K.”, with the premeditat
- JUNE 11, 2006United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. COURT CONDEMNS ALLEGED ADULTERER TO DEATH BY STONING
an Islamic court in the United Arab Emirates condemned a man to death by stoning and his female lover to one year in jail and 100 lashes.
- MARCH 10, 2006United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UAE. DEATH PENALTY FOR MAN WHO SHOT FATHER-IN-LAW
the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court, UAE, sentenced to death a man, only identified as S.J., after convicting him of killing his father-in-law, identified as A.H.
- FEBRUARY 10, 2006United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. PAKISTANI SPARED FROM DEATH FOLLOWING PARDON BY VICTIM’S FAMILY
Pakistani national Akthar Hussain, 70, on death row in the UAE, was to walk out a free man after receiving a pardon from the family of his Indian victim.
- JANUARY 1, 2006United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
Capital crimes under the constitution are: murder, rape...
Capital crimes under the constitution are: murder, rape...
- OCTOBER 22, 2005United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. DEATH SENTENCE IS COMMUTED
the Federal Supreme Court has upheld a ruling by a Court of Appeal commuting the death sentence on a drug trafficker to a 10-year imprisonment and a fine of Dh50,000 to be followed by deportation.
- JANUARY 10, 2005United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
Ferzana K., a convicted Pakistani drug dealer had her death sentence commuted
Ferzana K., a convicted Pakistani drug dealer had her death sentence commuted
- JANUARY 1, 2005United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
Capital crimes under the constitution are: murder, rape, treason, aggravated robbery and apostasy.
Capital crimes under the constitution are: murder, rape, treason, aggravated robbery and apostasy.
- DECEMBER 13, 2004United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
the Fujairah Criminal court in the United Arab Emirates sentenced to death an Asian woman
the Fujairah Criminal court in the United Arab Emirates sentenced to death an Asian woman
- OCTOBER 12, 2004United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
An Iranian national was sentenced to death in the UAE...
An Iranian national was sentenced to death in the UAE after being convicted of smuggling 20
- JULY 28, 2004United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
The United Arab Emirates enacted its first counter-terrorism...
The United Arab Emirates enacted its first counter-terrorism law, imposing strict sentences for offenders including the death penalty
- MAY 18, 2004United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
A court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) sentenced...
A court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) sentenced to death an Omani for smuggling in large amounts of hashish and opium, a newspaper reported
- APRIL 12, 2004United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
Capital crimes under the constitution are: murder, rape, treason, aggravated robbery and apostasy.
Capital crimes under the constitution are: murder, rape, treason, aggravated robbery and apostasy.
- NOVEMBER 19, 2003United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
The Dubai Supreme Court confirmed the June 1st death...
The Dubai Supreme Court confirmed the June 1st death sentences given to two of six Iranian drug smugglers who set fire to a boat containing two tonnes of cannabis as an anti-narcotics squad approached them off the Dubai coast
- OCTOBER 15, 2003United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
A Dubai court in the United Arab Emirates, sentenced...
A Dubai court in the United Arab Emirates, sentenced four Indians to death for the murder of a well-known Indian businessman who was reportedly gunned down in broad daylight in a reported gangland revenge killing
- JUNE 1, 2003United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
Two Iranian drug smugglers were sentenced to death...
Two Iranian drug smugglers were sentenced to death and four to life in jail after they set fire to their boat loaded with nearly a tonne of hashish during a police chase at sea, Gulf News said
- JANUARY 1, 2003United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
The Khaleej Times reported that a Dubai court sentenced...
The Khaleej Times reported that a Dubai court sentenced to death a Kuwaiti man for possession and dealing of drugs
- DECEMBER 24, 2002United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
A man was sentenced to death in Sudan by the Ras Al...
A man was sentenced to death in Sudan by the Ras Al Khaimah Sharia Court for murder
- OCTOBER 9, 2002United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
A Pakistani businessman who fled the United Arab Emirates...
A Pakistani businessman who fled the United Arab Emirates after being accused of drugs offences lost a court battle against extradition from Britain
- OCTOBER 6, 2002United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
Mohammed Fakhar Al Zaman Lodhi, a Pakistani businessman...
Mohammed Fakhar Al Zaman Lodhi, a Pakistani businessman who fled the United Arab Emirates after being accused of drugs offences lost a court battle against extradition from Britain
- SEPTEMBER 24, 2002United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
Three Indians were sentenced to death by a Dubai court...
Three Indians were sentenced to death by a Dubai court for possessing and dealing in drugs
- JUNE 28, 2002United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
An appeals court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)...
An appeals court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has upheld the death sentences of two nationals for raping an Egyptian woman, 28, at her home