Death sentences
Archive theme
A death sentence is not the same thing as an execution: years can pass between the two, and the sentence may be overturned on appeal, commuted, or never carried out. Counting them separately measures two different things: how far a state resorts to capital punishment, and how far it actually applies it.
This page collects the news on death sentences handed down around the world, on the later stages of appeal, and on the sentences upheld or overturned. Executions have a page of their own.
Latest news
- MAY 26, 2018EthiopiaDEATH PENALTY
ETHIOPIA PARDONS SENIOR OPPOSITION LEADER SENTENCED TO DEATH
Ethiopia pardoned an opposition leader with British citizenship who had been sentenced to death, the latest in a series of pardons and releases of jailed dissidents announced in the wake of years of violent unrest.
- MAY 25, 2018Congo - KinshasaDEATH PENALTY
Tshikapa: a soldier sentenced to death for the murder of two colleagues
25 May 2018: the military Court of Tshikapa (Kasai) condemned first class soldier Fabrice Aliata for a double murder. He killed the day before, an Army captain and a post commander.
MAY 24, 2018PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: MURDER CONVICT GETS DEATH SENTENCE
A court sentenced a man to death for his involvement in a murder case in Daska.
- MAY 24, 2018PennsylvaniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Pennsylvania. A jury sentenced Paul Henry III to death.
USA - Pennsylvania. A jury sentenced Paul Henry III to death.
- MAY 22, 2018DEATH PENALTY
LOUISIANA (USA): FORMER DEATH-ROW PRISONER COREY WILLIAMS WAS RELEASED ON PLEA AGREEMENT, AMID EVIDENCE OF INNOCENCE, MISCONDUCT
Williams, 36, Black, walked free from prison in Louisiana on May 21, 2018.
- MAY 22, 2018LouisianaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Louisiana. Former Death-Row Prisoner Corey Williams Released on Plea Agreement
USA - Louisiana. Former Death-Row Prisoner Corey Williams Released on Plea Agreement
- MAY 21, 2018ArizonaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Arizona. A jury sentenced Dwandarrius Robinson to death
USA - Arizona. A jury sentenced Dwandarrius Robinson to death
- MAY 20, 2018BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: 3 TO DIE, 7 GET LIFE IN PRISON FOR KILLING KERANIGANJ BUSINESSMAN
A court awarded death penalty to three people and life imprisonment to seven others for killing a businessman for extortion in Keraniganj in 2006.
MAY 20, 2018KuwaitDEATH PENALTYKUWAIT: DEATH RULING IN CLERIC’S KILL
The Criminal Court has condemned to death by hanging the suspect in the murder of Kuwaiti cleric Abdul- Rahman Al-Senafi
- MAY 19, 2018OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. Jury recommends death penalty for Shawn Grate
USA - Ohio. Jury recommends death penalty for Shawn Grate
MAY 18, 2018Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: THREE SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER MURDER COMMITTED 17 YEARS AGO
The Colombo High Court imposed death sentence on three persons convicted of stabbing a person to death in Nawagampura, Colombo in 2001 November 05.
- MAY 18, 2018AlabamaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Alabama. Jury recommends death for Jerry Jerome Smith for the 5th time.
USA - Alabama. Jury recommends death for Jerry Jerome Smith for the 5th time.
- MAY 15, 2018FloridaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Florida. Steven Hayward was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
USA - Florida. Steven Hayward was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
MAY 14, 2018JordanDEATH PENALTYJORDAN: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER DAESH AFFILIATION
A Jordanian military court sentenced a man to death and six others to lengthy prison sentences for belonging to Daesh (ISIS), judicial sources said.
MAY 14, 2018BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: FOUR SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF MADARIPUR TRADER
A Madaripur court has sentenced four people to death for the murder of trader Sohel Mollik.
MAY 13, 2018IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: 8 DAESH MEMBERS GET DEATH PENALTY
An Iranian court sentenced eight Daesh members to death over a 2017 attack on the Iranian parliament, a judicial official said.
- MAY 13, 2018IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: PRISONER HANGED IN ISFAHAN
According to IHR sources, on the morning a prisoner was hanged at Isfahan Central Prison.
- MAY 12, 2018YemenDEATH PENALTY
YEMEN: 3 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR COLLABORATING WITH FOREIGN STATE
The Specialized Penal Court in Sanaa, chaired by Judge Abdu Rajeh, sentenced three persons to death after being convicted of collaborating with a foreign country and engaging in gangs of Al-Qaeda.
MAY 10, 2018SudanDEATH PENALTYSUDAN: PRESIDENT AL-BASHIR PARDONS 5 DEATH-SENTENCED REBELS
Sudan’s President Omer al-Bashir pardoned five members of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) who had been sentenced to death by military courts.
- MAY 9, 2018Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Indonesian maid pardoned for baby’s murder hosts parents
9 May 2018: Masamah binti Raswa Sanusi receives parents in Indonesia
MAY 8, 2018BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: TWO ISLAMISTS ORDERED HANGED FOR MACHETE MURDER OF PROFESSOR
Two Islamists were sentenced to be hanged for the murder of a Bangladesh university professor who was hacked to death with a machete two years ago, a prosecutor said.
- MAY 8, 2018YemenDEATH PENALTY
YEMEN: 17 SENTENCED TO DEATH, 87 JAILED ON VARIOUS CHARGES IN SANAA
The Specialized Criminal Court of First Instance in Sanaa sentenced 17 defendants to death and jailed 87 others for different periods in separate cases.
- MAY 8, 2018ConnecticutDEATH PENALTY
USA - Connecticut. Todd Rizzo was resentenced to life in prison
USA - Connecticut. Todd Rizzo was resentenced to life in prison
- MAY 8, 2018BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: 4 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING MICROBUS DRIVER
A Netrakona court sentenced four people to death for killing a microbus driver in 2013, reports UNB.
- MAY 4, 2018DEATH PENALTY
GEORGIA (USA): ROBERT EARL BUTTS JR. EXECUTED
Robert Earl Butts Jr., 40, Black, was executed.
- MAY 4, 2018DEATH PENALTY
USA - Georgia. Robert Earl Butts, 40, Black, was executed.
USA - Georgia. Robert Earl Butts, 40, Black, was executed.
MAY 3, 2018TaiwanDEATH PENALTYTAIWAN: HIGH COURT SENTENCES MAN TO DEATH OVER ARSON THAT KILLED 6
The Taiwan High Court handed down the death sentence to a man found guilty of an arson two years ago that resulted in the death of six members of the same family in an apartment building in New Taipei City.
MAY 3, 2018MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: DEATH PENALTY NO LONGER MANDATORY FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture (Madpet) is pleased that the Dangerous Drugs Amendment Act 2017, which received royal assent on 27 December 2017, has finally, after much delay, come into force on 15 March 2018.
MAY 2, 2018ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: TWO MYANMAR DRUG DEALERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
A court in southwest China's Yunnan Province sentenced two people from Myanmar to death for drug trafficking and killing a Chinese policeman.
- APRIL 30, 2018ThailandDEATH PENALTY
THAILAND: 6 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR 2016 MARKET BOMBING IN DEEP SOUTH
A court in Thailand’s Deep South sentenced six men to death for their roles in an October 2016 bombing that killed a woman and injured 21 other people at a local night market.