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
JULY 12, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: LAO SIBLINGS SENTENCED TO DEATH, LIFE FOR SMUGGLING HEROIN
A court in the central province of Nghe An handed down a death penalty and a life sentence to two Lao
JULY 11, 2016TanzaniaDEATH PENALTYTANZANIA: 30 CONVICTED TO DEATH FOR KILLING ALBINOS, ELDERLY
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Dr Harrison Mwakyembe said that at least 30 people have been sentenced to death after they were found guilty of murdering elders and people with albinism.
- JULY 5, 2016MaldivesDEATH PENALTY
MALDIVES: SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS SECOND DEATH SENTENCE
Amid growing international pressure against the reintroduction of the death penalty, the Supreme Court
JULY 3, 2016ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: BUS ARSONIST WHO KILLED 18 CONDEMNED TO DIE
A man convicted of killing 18 people when he set a public bus on fire in China was sentenced to death, authorities said.
- JULY 1, 2016CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. Referendum would expedite death penalty appeals
USA - California. Referendum would expedite death penalty appeals
- JULY 1, 2016ConnecticutDEATH PENALTY
USA - -Connecticut. Judge Robert Devlin re-sentenced Russell Peeler Jr. to 2 consecutive life sentences
USA - -Connecticut. Judge Robert Devlin re-sentenced Russell Peeler Jr. to 2 consecutive life sentences
- JUNE 30, 2016IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA: SUPREME COURT SENTENCES 5 TO DEATH FOR DRUG OFFENSES
The Supreme Court has added five new death row inmates to the Attorney General’s Office’s (AGO)
- JUNE 29, 2016BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: ONE SENTENCED TO DEATH, THREE TO LIFE TERM FOR MURDER
A man was sentenced to death and three others were handed life term imprisonment for killing a woman in Bogra.
JUNE 29, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: 73-YR-OLD AUSSIE WOMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TRAFFICKING DRUGS
A court in Ho Chi Minh City sentenced an elderly Australian national to death for trafficking 1.6kg of heroin
JUNE 29, 2016MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: FRUIT SELLER GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A fruit seller was sentenced to death by a High Court in Malaysia for trafficking cannabis weighing 18.8kg.
JUNE 28, 2016DEATH PENALTYMEXICO: ‘EL CHAPO’ EXTRADITION TO US HALTED BY JUDGE OVER DEATH PENALTY FEARS
A judge in Mexico temporarily blocked the extradition of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to the US after his lawyers appealed the move over fears that the infamous drug cartel leader might face the death penalty.
- JUNE 28, 2016United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - ‘El Chapo’ extradition to US halted by Mexico judge over death penalty fears.
USA - ‘El Chapo’ extradition to US halted by Mexico judge over death penalty fears.
JUNE 28, 2016KuwaitDEATH PENALTYKUWAIT: GALLOWS FOR THREE INDIANS, WOMAN IN DRUG TRAFFICKING
The Court of Appeals presided over by Judge Ali Diran has upheld the verdict of the lower court and
JUNE 27, 2016PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: THREE MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR BLASPHEMY
An Anti-Terrorism Court in Gujranwala sentenced two Christian and one Muslim man to death for
JUNE 25, 2016BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: COUPLE KILLER GETS DEATH SENTENCE IN MYMENSINGH
A Mymensingh court sentenced a youth to death for killing a couple in 2014.
JUNE 23, 2016ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: ZHUHAI COURT SENTENCES 4 DRUG DEALERS TO DEATH
A Court in Zhuhai City in south China’s Guangdong Province sentenced four drug dealers to death, ahead
JUNE 23, 2016SudanDEATH PENALTYSUDAN: FOUR GUNMEN SENTENCED TO DEATH AND LIFE IMPRISONMENT IN SOUTH DARFUR
A Sudanese court in Nyala, capital of South Darfur state, sentenced to death and life imprisonment four
- JUNE 23, 2016SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCED AL SHABAAB SYMPATHIZER TO DEATH
Somali military court has sentenced armed group Alshabaab sympathizer to death.
- JUNE 22, 2016OklahomaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Oklahoma. A jury chose the death penalty for Albert Ray Johnson
USA - Oklahoma. A jury chose the death penalty for Albert Ray Johnson
JUNE 18, 2016SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: 43 AL SHABAB MILITANTS SENTENCED TO DEATH IN PUNTLAND STATE
A military court in Puntland state of Somalia sentenced 43 Al shabab militants to death. The militants had
JUNE 18, 2016EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: MURSI SENTENCED TO 40 YEARS IN QATAR SPY CASE
An Egyptian court sentenced toppled Islamist president Mohammad Mursi to a total of 40 years in prison
JUNE 16, 2016PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: SC RESTORES DEATH SENTENCE OF PML-N MNA
The Supreme Court restored the death sentence of PML-N MNA Abid Raza in a murder case, saying that a convict sentenced under Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) cannot be acquitted.
- JUNE 15, 2016UtahDEATH PENALTY
USA - Utah. Report: Each death row inmate costs Utah $1.66 million.
USA - Utah. Report: Each death row inmate costs Utah $1.66 million.
JUNE 15, 2016BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: SIX TO HANG FOR AHSANULLAH MASTER MURDER
The High Court upheld death penalty for six people and life term for two accused on charge of killing former
JUNE 15, 2016Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: DEATH SENTENCE FOR JORDANIAN HEROIN PEDDLER
The Colombo High Court Judge Manilal Waidyathilake sentenced to death Jordanian who was found guilty
- JUNE 15, 2016ConnecticutDEATH PENALTY
USA - Connecticut. Steven Hayes is the 1st Death-Row Inmate Resentenced to Life
USA - Connecticut. Steven Hayes is the 1st Death-Row Inmate Resentenced to Life
- JUNE 13, 2016IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: SEVEN SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER 2015 BOMBING NEAR U.S. CONSULATE
Seven people were sentenced to death by an Erbil court for their role in the bombing outside of the U.S.
JUNE 9, 2016NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: OSUN STATE GOVERNOR PARDONS 17 PRISONERS, COMMUTES FOUR DEATH SENTENCES
Seventeen prisoners serving various jail terms in Ogun State were granted state pardon by the state
- JUNE 8, 2016JapanDEATH PENALTY
The Supreme Court rejected an appeal from the defense team of Yutaro Chiba, 24, for murders he committed when he was a minor (he was 18 years and 7 months old). The decision was supported by all five justices.
The Supreme Court rejected an appeal from the defense team of Yutaro Chiba, 24, for murders he committed when he was a minor (he was 18 years and 7 months old). The decision was supported by all five justices.
- JUNE 8, 2016PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: THREE GET DEATH SENTENCE IN JUDGE MURDER CASE
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi handed down death sentence to three men convicted of