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
FEBRUARY 20, 2015IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: JUVENILE OFFENDER SAMAN NASEEM WAS EXECUTED
The Kurdish political prisoner Saman Naseem who was sentenced to death for offences he allegedly
- FEBRUARY 19, 2015CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Washington. Bill to abolish death penalty doesn't pass out of committee
USA - Washington. Bill to abolish death penalty doesn't pass out of committee
FEBRUARY 19, 2015EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: IN A FINAL VERDICT, 4 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR 2006 RAPE
Egypt's Court of Cassation has upheld the death sentence on four defendants to death, five others to life in
FEBRUARY 18, 2015Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: 42-YEAR-OLD MAN GIVEN DEATH SENTENCE OVER 2007 MURDER CASE
A 42-year-old person convicted of committing a murder in 2007 was sentenced to death in Sri Lanka by
FEBRUARY 17, 2015AlgeriaDEATH PENALTYALGERIA: MAGHREB'S AL-QAEDA LEADER, 25 OTHERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
A court in Algeria issued death sentences against 26 people convicted of terror-related offences, among
- FEBRUARY 16, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: PUNTLAND COURT SENTENCES FOUR SUSPECTED MILITANTS TO DEATH
A court in Puntland, a semiautonomous region northern Somalia, sentenced four suspected militants to death
FEBRUARY 13, 2015PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: TWO KILLER ROBBERS HANGED IN MIRPUR
two death row prisoners were executed in the Central Jail of Mirpur, in Pakistan’s Azad Jammu and Kashmir State.
FEBRUARY 11, 2015EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: COURT ORDERS RETRIAL OF 33 SENTENCED BROTHERHOOD MEMBERS
Egypt's Court of Cassation ordered the retrial of 33 supporters of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood who were sentenced to death in a mass trial that included the Brotherhood's General Guide Mohamed Badie.
- FEBRUARY 11, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: A 17-YEAR-OLD MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN SOMALILAND
A 17-year-old boy was sentenced to death by firing squad for the murder of his mother in law.
FEBRUARY 9, 2015TunisiaDEATH PENALTYTUNISIA: FIVE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING 11-YEAR-OLD
A Tunisian court sentenced five people to death for the murder of an 11-year-old in the northern city of
FEBRUARY 8, 2015BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: 5 TO WALK GALLOWS FOR KILLING JU STUDENT ZUBAIR
A Dhaka court condemned five persons to death and five others to life term imprisonment for killing
FEBRUARY 8, 2015EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: THREE SENTENCED TO DEATH ON AL-QAEDA ESPIONAGE CHARGES
Cairo criminal court has reached a final verdict of the death penalty for three and punished a fourth
FEBRUARY 6, 2015LebanonDEATH PENALTYLEBANON: 23 SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER 2007 FATAH AL-ISLAM BATTLE
- FEBRUARY 6, 2015CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. Judge Gregg L. Pickett sentenced Richard Raymond Ramirez to death
USA - California. Judge Gregg L. Pickett sentenced Richard Raymond Ramirez to death
FEBRUARY 5, 2015SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: SOMALILAND TO EXECUTE DEATH PENALTY CASES
Somaliland government declared that it will soon execute all the legal verdicts on death penalty, which were issued by country's courts.
- FEBRUARY 4, 2015DEATH PENALTY
USA (TEXAS): SEVENTH EXECUTION OF 2015
- FEBRUARY 4, 2015TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has thrown out the death sentence of Daryl Wheatfall
USA - Texas. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has thrown out the death sentence of Daryl Wheatfall
- FEBRUARY 4, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Conservative Leaders Seek Reprieve for Severely Mentally Ill Inmate Scott Panetti
USA - Texas. Conservative Leaders Seek Reprieve for Severely Mentally Ill Inmate Scott Panetti
- FEBRUARY 3, 2015South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA: SOLDIER GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR DEADLY SHOOTING SPREE
FEBRUARY 3, 2015JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: SUPREME COURT NULLIFIES TWO DEATH SENTENCES HANDED DOWN IN LAY JUDGE TRIALS
- FEBRUARY 2, 2015BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
UAE: 2 BANGLADESHIS TO RELIEVE FROM DEATH SENTENCE IN DUBAI
- JANUARY 30, 2015CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. Judge Christian F. Thierbach sentenced Tyrone Harts to death
USA - California. Judge Christian F. Thierbach sentenced Tyrone Harts to death
- JANUARY 30, 2015PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: COURT GIVES 23 TIMES DEATH PENALTY TO 3 TALIBAN MILITANTS
An anti-terrorism court handed down '23 times' death sentence to three militants of outlawed Pakistani
- JANUARY 30, 2015CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. A jury recommended a death sentence for Naresh “Michael” Narine
USA - California. A jury recommended a death sentence for Naresh “Michael” Narine
- JANUARY 29, 2015AlabamaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Alabama. Judge Tracie Todd sentenced Marcus Benn to death
USA - Alabama. Judge Tracie Todd sentenced Marcus Benn to death
- JANUARY 28, 2015FloridaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Florida. A jury has recommended that Joel Adrian Cruz be executed
USA - Florida. A jury has recommended that Joel Adrian Cruz be executed
JANUARY 28, 2015DEATH PENALTYIRAN: TWO PRISONERS HANGED, ONE OF THEM EXECUTED PUBLICLY FOUR WEEKS AFTER THE ARREST
Two men were executed in Iran today. One of them was hanged publicly in central Iran four weeks after he was arrested.
- JANUARY 28, 2015CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. A jury recommended a death sentence for Belinda Magana
USA - California. A jury recommended a death sentence for Belinda Magana
- JANUARY 26, 2015PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: SUPERINTENDENT ADIALA JAIL REFUSES TO EXECUTE DEATH ROW CONVICT
Superintendent Adiala Prisons Malik Mushtaq has refused to execute the convict of famous Wah Cantt
JANUARY 24, 2015EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: 37 DEATH SENTENCES OVERTURNED IN CRITICIZED TRIAL
Judicial officials in Egypt say an appeals court has ordered a retrial in an internationally criticized mass trial,