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 15, 2015ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: LAST WOMAN ON DEATH ROW 'SAVED'
Zimbabwe no longer has female prisoners on death row in compliance with the new constitution.
JULY 9, 2015EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: 14 MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD MEMBERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
14 members of Egypt's banned Muslim Brotherhood were sentenced to death in two separate terrorism-related cases.
JULY 8, 2015IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: 24 SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER SPEICHER KILLINGS
An Iraqi court sentenced 24 people to death over the killing of hundreds of soldiers at a former U.S. military
JULY 6, 2015AfghanistanDEATH PENALTYAFGHANISTAN: HELMAND MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING WIFE
A primary urban court in southern Helmand province sentenced a man to death for killing his wife.
JULY 5, 2015IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: TWO WOMEN SENTENCED TO DEATH PARDONED BY PLAINTIFFS
During a recent meeting of “peace and reconciliation” between prisoners in Isfahan’s central prison and a
- JULY 4, 2015United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UAE: RAK COURT UPHOLDS MAN'S DEATH SENTENCE IN MURDER CASE
The RAK (Ras al-Khaima) Court of Cassation has upheld an earlier death sentence passed against a
JULY 1, 2015TanzaniaDEATH PENALTYTANZANIA: FOUR SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING ALBINO TEENAGER
Four men, including a witchdoctor, were sentenced to death by Tanzania's High Court after being found
- JUNE 29, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Supreme Court Narrowly Upholds Use of Lethal Injection Drug.
USA - Supreme Court Narrowly Upholds Use of Lethal Injection Drug.
JUNE 29, 2015IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: DEATH SENTENCES ISSUED FOR 10 INDIVIDUALS IN SOUTHEASTERN PRISON
10 prisoners that have been detained in Zahedan Central Prison (southeastern Iran) for three years in a
- JUNE 29, 2015OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. Judge Tom Parker sentenced Shawn Ford to death
USA - Ohio. Judge Tom Parker sentenced Shawn Ford to death
JUNE 29, 2015IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE MOHAMMAD ALI TAHERI SENTENCED TO DEATH
The Iranian regime has sentenced prisoner of conscience Mohammad Ali Taheri to execution. He is the
JUNE 29, 2015SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: HEROIN TRAFFICKER FAILS IN ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE DEATH PENALTY
Kester Ng Wei Ren, a heroin trafficker who has been on death row for more than four years, failed in his
JUNE 25, 2015NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: NINE PEOPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH BY KANO SHARIA COURT FOR BLASPHEMY AGAINST ISLAM
Nine people have been sentenced to death in Kano State by a Sharia Court of Appeal in Rijiyar Lemo for
- JUNE 23, 2015FranceDEATH PENALTY
FRANCE DOING EVERYTHING IT CAN TO SAVE SERGE FROM EXECUTION
- JUNE 23, 2015DEATH PENALTY
LOUISIANA (USA): EXECUTIONS ON HOLD FOR AT LEAST A YEAR AS STATE SORTS OUT DEATH PENALTY METHOD
Executions in Louisiana are on hold for at least a year because the state doesn't have the drugs needed to put inmates to death, according to a court filing.
- JUNE 23, 2015LouisianaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Louisiana. Executions on hold for at least a year
USA - Louisiana. Executions on hold for at least a year
JUNE 21, 2015ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: MAN WHO RIPPED 83 YR OLD' STOMACH AND ROBBED SENTENCED TO DEATH
In Zimbabwe, a High Court judge has sent a man to the gallows for ripping open an 83
JUNE 20, 2015IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: WRITER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR APOSTASY
A 23-year-old former nuclear physics student, Hesameddin Farzizadeh, was sentenced to death for
- JUNE 19, 2015MississippiDEATH PENALTY
USA - Mississippi. A Harrison County jury returned the death penalty for Rahim Ambrose
USA - Mississippi. A Harrison County jury returned the death penalty for Rahim Ambrose
JUNE 17, 2015PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: TEN OTHER CONVICTED OF MURDER HANGED IN VARIOUS CITIES
Another ten murder convicts were executed between 16 and 17 June in five different prisons of the country, raising the total number of executions to at least 181 since Pakistan reversed the self-imposed moratorium on the death penalty in December 2014 aft
JUNE 16, 2015PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: NINE MORE DEATH ROW PRISONERS HANGED IN VARIOUS CITIES
another nine murder convicts were hanged in different cities of Punjab, raising the total number of executions to at least 171 since Pakistan reversed the self-imposed moratorium on the death penalty in December 2014 after the Taliban school massacre.
JUNE 16, 2015EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: DEATH SENTENCE AGAINST EX PRESIDENT MORSI UPHELD
An Egyptian court upheld a death sentence handed to former President Mohammed Morsi -- the harshest ruling yet against Egypt's first democratically-elected president since he was overthrown by the military in 2013.
JUNE 16, 2015ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: WOMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KINDERGARTEN FOOD POISONING
A Chinese woman was sentenced to death for killing two kindergarten pupils with poisonous snacks in
JUNE 16, 2015BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: HIGHEST COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE OF TOP ISLAMIST
Bangladesh`s highest court upheld the death sentence against the country`s second highest ranked Islamist
- JUNE 13, 2015EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: COURT ORDERS RETRIAL OF 16 ACCUSED OF KILLING POLICE
An Egyptian court ordered the retrial of 16 people sentenced to death or long prison terms for their
- JUNE 12, 2015TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Former death row inmate Cathy Henderson sentenced to 25 years in retrial
USA - Texas. Former death row inmate Cathy Henderson sentenced to 25 years in retrial
JUNE 11, 2015PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: TWO MORE DEATH ROW CONVICTS HANGED
At least two murder convicts were executed in Faisalabad and Haripur, raising the total number of
- JUNE 9, 2015PennsylvaniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Pennsylvania. A jury imposed the death penalty on Marcel Johnson
USA - Pennsylvania. A jury imposed the death penalty on Marcel Johnson
- JUNE 4, 2015DEATH PENALTY
NORTH CAROLINA (USA): 2 BROTHERS PARDONED, CLEARING WAY FOR THEM TO RECEIVE $750K
Gov. Pat McCrory issued pardons for Henry McCollum and his half brother Leon Brown, clearing the way
- JUNE 4, 2015North CarolinaDEATH PENALTY
USA - North Carolina. Gov. Pat McCrory issued pardons for Henry McCollum and Leon Brown, clearing the way for them to receive $750,000 in compensation
USA - North Carolina. Gov. Pat McCrory issued pardons for Henry McCollum and Leon Brown, clearing the way for them to receive $750,000 in compensation