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
- APRIL 13, 2017KenyaDEATH PENALTY
10 KENYANS WHO MURDERED MILITARY MAN SENTENCED TO HANG
10 Kenyan men have been sentenced to death for killing a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer and two other people in 2013 in Migori County.
APRIL 11, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 325 DEATH ROW CONVICTS IN THE COUNTRY TILL 2016
As many as 325 death row convicts are lodged in different jails across the country till 2016, the Lok Sabha was informed.
APRIL 10, 2017PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: INDIAN AGENT KULBHUSHAN YADAV AWARDED DEATH SENTENCE
An Indian spy agent Kulbhushan Yadav has been awarded death sentence through the Field Court Martial General (FCGM) under the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) for espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan, the ISPR stated.
- APRIL 8, 2017SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: PUNTLAND MILITARY COURT EXECUTES 5 SUSPECTS LINKED TO AL SHABAAB
A military court in Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Puntland executed five alleged Al Shabaab members in the Gulf of Aden port city of Bossaso, Garowe Online reports.
APRIL 6, 2017BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: THREE TO DIE, ONE TO SPEND LIFE IN PRISON FOR MURDERING STUDENT IN GAZIPUR
A court in Gazipur awarded death sentences to three men and life in prison to a woman for abducting and murdering a university student.
- APRIL 5, 2017ArkansasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Arkansas. Parole Board Recommends Clemency for Jason McGehee.
USA - Arkansas. Parole Board Recommends Clemency for Jason McGehee.
MARCH 31, 2017PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING FATHER
A sessions court in Pakistan sentenced a man to death for killing his father.
MARCH 30, 2017SudanDEATH PENALTYSUDAN: DARFUR CRIMES COURT SENTENCES TWO TO DEATH BY HANGING IN EL-GENEINA
Darfur Special Criminal Court sentenced two individuals to death by hanging on charges of killing armed robbery in West Darfur state capital, El-Geneina.
- MARCH 26, 2017IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: BAGHDAD COURT SENTENCES MAN TO DEATH OVER LINKS TO ISIS HACKING
An Iraqi criminal court has sentenced a man to death on terrorism charges over links to secretive Islamic State (ISIS) hacking programs.
MARCH 25, 2017YemenDEATH PENALTYYEMEN: PRESIDENT SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HOUTHI COURT
A Yemeni court in territory controlled by the armed Houthi movement sentenced the group's enemy in a two-year-old civil war President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and six other top officials in his government to death for "high treason".
- MARCH 24, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: YOUNG MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR INSULTING THE PROPHET
Iran’s supreme court upheld a death sentence for a young man in Arak, central Iran, after he was found guilty of “insulting the Prophet Muhammad” on the Internet.
- MARCH 23, 2017FloridaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Florida. Citing Hurst, the Florida Supreme Court vacated the death sentence of Randall Deviney
USA - Florida. Citing Hurst, the Florida Supreme Court vacated the death sentence of Randall Deviney
MARCH 23, 2017JordanDEATH PENALTYJORDAN: WOMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING HUSBAND
The Criminal Court sentenced a woman to death after convicting her of murdering her husband in Balqa governorate, in May 2014.
- MARCH 22, 2017VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: 9 MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Vietnamese state media say a court has sentenced nine men to death for trafficking more than 1,000 pounds of heroin.
- MARCH 22, 2017CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. A jury recommended the death penalty for David Rey Contreras
USA - California. A jury recommended the death penalty for David Rey Contreras
MARCH 22, 2017JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING 5 PEOPLE IN HYOGO PREFECTURE
The Kobe District Court sentenced a 42-year-old man to death over the killing of five people in Hyogo Prefecture in 2015, dismissing lawyers' arguments that he was mentally ill.
- MARCH 21, 2017NevadaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Nevada. A jury sentenced Javier Righetti to death
USA - Nevada. A jury sentenced Javier Righetti to death
MARCH 21, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: DEATH SENTENCE FOR MAN CONVICTED OF KILLING KERALA FAMILY
A 30-year-old migrant worker convicted of murdering his employer and his parents in Kerala’s Kottayam district has been handed the death sentence.
MARCH 17, 2017NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: 5 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER, ARMED ROBBERY
An Oyo State High Court sitting at Iyaganku sentenced five people to death in two different cases.
- MARCH 17, 2017FloridaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Florida. The Florida Supreme Court vacated the death sentence of Corey Smith because it was not unanimous
USA - Florida. The Florida Supreme Court vacated the death sentence of Corey Smith because it was not unanimous
- MARCH 15, 2017AlabamaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Alabama. Vernon Madison Incompetent To Be Executed.
USA - Alabama. Vernon Madison Incompetent To Be Executed.
- MARCH 15, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: WRITER AND TRANSLATOR DAVARI SENTENCED TO DEATH
Marjan Davari, a 50-year-old researcher and translator, has been convicted of ‘spreading corruption on earth’ and sentenced to death by Branch 15 of Tehran Revolutionary Court.
- MARCH 14, 2017DEATH PENALTY
TEXAS (USA): JAMES EUGENE BIGBY EXECUTED
James Eugene Bigby, 61, White, was executed. A Tarrant County jury sentenced Bigby to death in 1991 for the December 24, 1987 murders of Mike Trekell and his infant son, Jayson, 4-month-old.
- MARCH 14, 2017TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. James Eugene Bigby, 61, White, was executed.
USA - Texas. James Eugene Bigby, 61, White, was executed.
- MARCH 13, 2017SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB MILITANT BEHIND BOMBING SENTENCED TO DEATH
A Somali military court sentenced an Al-Shabaab militant to death and two others to 15 years in jail after convicting them of being behind a deadly bomb attack on November 26, 2016.
- MARCH 12, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN CONDITIONS DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG OFFENSES
Capital punishment will be removed for all drug-related offenses with the exception of 3 cases, vice-chairman of Parliament’s Judiciary Committee told MNA.
- MARCH 12, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: 2 SECT LEADERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
Iran has sentenced to death a man and a woman who it says had created a new sect, Tasnim news agency reported.
- MARCH 10, 2017Congo - KinshasaDEATH PENALTY
Nine sentenced to death
10 March 2017: a Congolese court sentenced to death nine rebels convicted of having participated in the violence that has caused more than 1000 deaths in the east of the country since October 2014.
MARCH 9, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: DEATH SENTENCE FOR MAN WHO KILLED COPTIC SHOPKEEPER
A court in the Egyptian coastal city of Alexandria sentenced a man to death after he stabbed a Coptic liquor store owner to death.
MARCH 8, 2017SudanDEATH PENALTYSUDAN: PRESIDENT OMAR AL-BASHIR PARDONS 259 REBELS
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir pardoned 259 rebels captured in fighting with government forces, including dozens who had been sentenced to death.