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 30, 2015United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UAE: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF HIS WIFE
An Arab man who hacked his wife to death with a cleaver has been sentenced to death by Ras Al Khaimah Criminal Court.
APRIL 29, 2015Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER MURDER IN 2000
Two persons found guilty over a murder carried out in the Hingurakgoda area in 2000 have been sentenced to death by the Polonnaruwa High Court.
APRIL 23, 2015PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: TWO MORE DEATH ROW CONVICTS EXECUTED IN SARGODHA AND SAHIWAL
two murder convicts were hanged in Sargodha and Sahiwal, raising the total number of executions to 97 since Pakistan reversed the self-imposed moratorium on the death penalty in December 2014 after the Taliban school massacre.
- APRIL 23, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - On this day in 1969 Sirhan Sirhan was sentenced to die in the gas chamber after being convicted of killing Sen. Robert F. Kennedy
USA - On this day in 1969 Sirhan Sirhan was sentenced to die in the gas chamber after being convicted of killing Sen. Robert F. Kennedy
APRIL 23, 2015VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: LAOTIAN BROTHERS SENTENCED TO DEATH, LIFE TERM FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A Vietnam court gave capital punishment and a life sentence to two Laotian brothers who illegally
- APRIL 21, 2015PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: 15 DEATH ROW PRISONERS HANGED IN VARIOUS CITIES
At least fifteen death row convicts were sent to the gallows in different jails of the country, the highest number of executions on a single day since reversing of the country's self-imposed moratorium on the death penalty in December 2014 after the Talib
- APRIL 20, 2015AlabamaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Alabama. Judge Clyde Jones sentenced Jeffery Tyrone Riggs to life without the possibility of parole
USA - Alabama. Judge Clyde Jones sentenced Jeffery Tyrone Riggs to life without the possibility of parole
- APRIL 17, 2015CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. Judge Christian Thierbach sentenced Juan Ramon Coronado to death
USA - California. Judge Christian Thierbach sentenced Juan Ramon Coronado to death
- APRIL 15, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - 13 states today filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the three-drug combination being used by Oklahoma
USA - 13 states today filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the three-drug combination being used by Oklahoma
- APRIL 14, 2015IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA EXECUTES INDONESIAN WOMAN WITH SUSPECTED MENTAL ILLNESS
Today’s execution of an Indonesian woman with a suspected mental illness is just the latest in the recent macabre spike in Saudi Arabia’s state-sponsored killings, Amnesty International said.
- APRIL 14, 2015CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. A jury has recommended a death sentence for Robert Lee Dunson
USA - California. A jury has recommended a death sentence for Robert Lee Dunson
- APRIL 13, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - The New York Times described the death penalty as "cruel, immoral, and ineffective at reducing crime"
USA - The New York Times described the death penalty as "cruel, immoral, and ineffective at reducing crime"
APRIL 10, 2015IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: THREE KURDISH POLITICAL PRISONERS SENTENCED TO DEATH CHARGED WITH ‘ENMITY AGAINST GOD’
Three Kurdish political prisoners have been tried and sentenced to death as a result of a trial held in the
APRIL 7, 2015PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: CHRISTIAN COUPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR BLASPHEMY
Two Pakistani Christians have been sentenced to death for supposedly violating the country’s blasphemy laws.
- APRIL 3, 2015VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: BROTHERS GET DEATH PENALTIES FOR TRAFFICKING OVER 210 KG DRUGS
A court in the southern province of Binh Duong gave 2 brothers death penalties for trafficking over 210 kilograms of heroin in one of the province's biggest drug cases.
APRIL 2, 2015PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: 6 TERRORISTS AWARDED CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN MILITARY COURT
Six convicted terrorists, who were tried at a Military Court established under National Action Plan (NAP), are sentenced to death, Capital TV reported.
- APRIL 2, 2015United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UAE: ARSONIST SAVED FROM EXECUTION AFTER VICTIMS' RELATIVES ACCEPT 'BLOOD MONEY'
An Asian man convicted of murdering his aunt and her husband in Abu Dhabi was saved from execution after the victims’ relatives accepted diya (blood money) and pardoned him, a newspaper reported.
APRIL 2, 2015ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: AUSTRALIAN MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
A Queensland man has been sentenced to death in China after being caught trying to smuggle methamphetamine to Australia.
- APRIL 1, 2015GambiaDEATH PENALTY
GAMBIA: 3 SOLDIERS SENTENCED TO DEATH, 3 GET LIFE IN PRISON
Col Mamadou Sowe, president of the Gambia court martial, assisted by Justice Emmanuel Amadi of the Supreme Court and Advocate Judge of the Court Martial, has sentenced Lt Col Saikou Jarju, Lieutenant Sanneh, and Private Momodou Njie to death, The Point ha
- APRIL 1, 2015UtahDEATH PENALTY
USA - Utah. A jury sentenced Douglas Lovell to death
USA - Utah. A jury sentenced Douglas Lovell to death
APRIL 1, 2015IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: ANOTHER NIGERIAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Local media report in Jakarta said another Nigerian, Simon Ezeaputa, was sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug trafficking.
MARCH 30, 2015MalawiDEATH PENALTYMALAWI: 24 CAPITAL PUNISHMENT CASES GONE FOR RETRIAL, 5 REVERSED
At least 24 out of 192 death row inmates have been taken to the High Court for resentencing hearings, and of the 24, five inmates have had their death penalties changed to custodial sentences, Malawi News Agency has learnt.
MARCH 28, 2015AfghanistanDEATH PENALTYAFGHANISTAN: DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED FOR MURDERER OF GERMAN PHOTOGRAPHER NIEDRINGHAUS
The death sentence for the police officer who murdered German photographer Anja Niedringhaus in Afghanistan last April has been commuted. The country's highest court has ruled he serve 20 years jail instead, AP says.
- MARCH 26, 2015IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQI JUDICIARY SENTENCED A SAUDI AND A TAJIKISTAN WITH DEATH FOR BELONGING TO ISIS
Central Criminal Court sentenced two convicted, one of them is from Tajikistan and the other is from Saudi Arabia to death.
- MARCH 26, 2015Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
SRI LANKA: MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR HEROIN POSSESSION
A person found guilty for the possession of 303.5 grams of heroin was sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court today.
- MARCH 25, 2015PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: SIX MORE HANGED IN VARIOUS JAILS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
six more death row prisoners were executed in various jails across Punjab and Sindh provinces, bringing the number of executions to 59 since an unofficial moratorium on capital punishment was lifted in December.
- MARCH 24, 2015VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM PLANS TO REMOVE ROBBERY, DRUG CRIMES FROM DEATH PENALTY LIST
The Ministry of Justice has proposed abolishing the death penalty for a number of crimes including robbery and heroin smuggling, reducing it to life sentence at most.
- MARCH 23, 2015BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: MAN TO WALK THE GALLOWS FOR KILLING WIFE
A tribunal in Bangladesh sentenced a man to death for killing his wife in 2008.
- MARCH 23, 2015PennsylvaniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Pennsylvania. Derrick White had death sentence changed to life without parole
USA - Pennsylvania. Derrick White had death sentence changed to life without parole
MARCH 23, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALILAND: POLICE OFFICER SENTENCES TO DEATH OVER THE KILLING OF BUSINESSMAN
A police officer was sentenced to death in Somaliland following the murder of famous businessman in Qoton.