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
OCTOBER 9, 2014KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: TWO HERDSMEN SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER KILLING OF 40 POLICE OFFICERS IN BARAGOI
A Maralal court has sentenced two herdsmen to death over the killing of 40 police officers in Baragoi in
- OCTOBER 8, 2014DEATH PENALTY
TEXAS (USA): MANUEL VELEZ WHO SPENT TIME ON DEATH ROW GOES FREE
At 11:32 p.m. today, Manuel Velez stepped out of the Huntsville Unit as a free man after 9 years behind
- OCTOBER 8, 2014TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Manuel Velez who spent time on death row in Texas goes free.
USA - Texas. Manuel Velez who spent time on death row in Texas goes free.
OCTOBER 8, 2014United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTYUAE: DEATH PENALTY COMMUTED TO LIFE IN PRISON
The Dubai Court of Appeals has reduced the death sentence given by a lower court to a drug dealer to life
- OCTOBER 8, 2014CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. Judge Kathleen Kennedy sentenced Kevin Haley, 50, Black, to death.
USA - California. Judge Kathleen Kennedy sentenced Kevin Haley, 50, Black, to death.
- OCTOBER 7, 2014SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCES TWO SOLDIERS TO DEATH FOR MURDER AND RAPE
Somali military court sentenced to death two government soldiers who were earlier accused of murder and
- OCTOBER 6, 2014IranDEATH PENALTY
IRANIAN CONVICTED IN CONTROVERSIAL MURDER CASE COULD ESCAPE DEATH SENTENCE
An Iranian woman facing the death sentence in a murder case that some have labeled a miscarriage of
- OCTOBER 6, 2014OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. A jury recommended Austin Myers, 19, White, be sentenced to death
USA - Ohio. A jury recommended Austin Myers, 19, White, be sentenced to death
- OCTOBER 2, 2014PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: MURDER CONVICT SENTENCED TO DEATH
Sargodha District and Session Judge Malik Sajid Ali awarded death sentence to a man accused of murder
OCTOBER 1, 2014NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: DELTA STATE GOVERNOR FREES THREE ON DEATH ROW
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State granted pardon to three men awaiting execution to mark
SEPTEMBER 30, 2014ThailandDEATH PENALTYTHAILAND: MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR TRAIN RAPE, MURDER
A former railway worker in Thailand was sentenced to death for raping a 13-year-old girl on an overnight
- SEPTEMBER 29, 2014TennesseeDEATH PENALTY
USA - Tennessee. Appeals court to state: Turn over IDs of executioners.
USA - Tennessee. Appeals court to state: Turn over IDs of executioners.
SEPTEMBER 28, 2014SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCES THREE SOLDIERS TO DEATH PENALTY FOR ARMED ROBBERY
Somalia’s Military Court sentenced three soldiers of the Armed Forces to death penalty after prosecuting
- SEPTEMBER 25, 2014TennesseeDEATH PENALTY
USA - Tennessee. The Tennessee Supreme Court reversed the murder conviction of Harry Lee Jones
USA - Tennessee. The Tennessee Supreme Court reversed the murder conviction of Harry Lee Jones
- SEPTEMBER 25, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Louisiana. (federal) A federal jury today imposed the death penalty on Thomas Sanders
USA - Louisiana. (federal) A federal jury today imposed the death penalty on Thomas Sanders
- SEPTEMBER 22, 2014United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UAE: FAMILY OF DEAD MAID REFUSES TO ACCEPT BLOOD MONEY
The Sharjah Appeals Court ordered four Emirati men, who were found guilty of raping and killing an
SEPTEMBER 22, 2014VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: MAN WHO KILLED TWO KIDS OVER SWAN GETS DEATH
A Vietnam court upheld the death sentence for a man who last year killed two children in Buon Me Thuot,
SEPTEMBER 22, 2014SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: DEATH PENALTY FOR MALAYSIAN DRUG TRAFFICKER
A 27-year-old Malaysian who had earlier been found guilty of bringing into Singapore 22.24g of
SEPTEMBER 21, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: DEATH SENTENCES FOR 4 SAUDIS IN 'BLOODIEST TERROR' CELL
four Saudi men were sentenced to death for their role in one of the kingdom's "bloodiest terror cells", official
- SEPTEMBER 20, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - More details about the allegation of inaccurate testimony by FBI experts in many capital cases.
USA - More details about the allegation of inaccurate testimony by FBI experts in many capital cases.
- SEPTEMBER 19, 2014JapanDEATH PENALTY
the Tokyo District Court sentenced to death Tsuyoshi Watanabe, 44, who had pleaded not guilty in the trial,
the Tokyo District Court sentenced to death Tsuyoshi Watanabe, 44, who had pleaded not guilty in the trial,
SEPTEMBER 18, 2014PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
A court sentenced a man to death in Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan, for murdering a shopkeeper. Three other
- SEPTEMBER 17, 2014OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. Trumbull County jury recommends death sentence for David Martin, 30, Black
USA - Ohio. Trumbull County jury recommends death sentence for David Martin, 30, Black
- SEPTEMBER 17, 2014ZambiaDEATH PENALTY
ZAMBIA: HUBBY GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING WIFE
Kitwe High Court judge Chilombo Phiri sentenced a man of Kalulushi’s Chambishi township to death for
SEPTEMBER 15, 2014EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD LEADER BADIE SENTENCED TO LIFE IN JAIL
Mohamed Badie, top leader of Egypt's outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, was sentenced to life in jail along
- SEPTEMBER 13, 2014AlabamaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Alabama. A jury recommends death for Jerry Jerome Smith
USA - Alabama. A jury recommends death for Jerry Jerome Smith
- SEPTEMBER 12, 2014ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINESE ATTACKERS WHO KILLED 31 GET DEATH SENTENCE
Three people have been condemned to death and one given life in prison for a mass stabbing that killed 31
SEPTEMBER 9, 2014IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR DRUG LORD FREDDY BUDIMAN
The Supreme Court of Indonesia decided to uphold the death sentence for Freddy Budiman, a convicted
- SEPTEMBER 8, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
OFW FREED FROM SAUDI DEATH ROW NOW HOME
An Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia is finally home.
- SEPTEMBER 8, 2014BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: ONE AWARDED DEATH SENTENCE, 5 TO LIFE TERM IN MURDER CASE
A Dhaka court awarded death sentence to one person and life term to five people for killing a student in