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
- AUGUST 24, 2011PennsylvaniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Pennsylvania. Thomas J. Gorby, 52, whose 1986 death sentence was vacated has been resentenced to life in prison.
USA - Pennsylvania. Thomas J. Gorby, 52, whose 1986 death sentence was vacated has been resentenced to life in prison.
AUGUST 24, 2011MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: APPEAL COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR DRUG PEDDLING
Datuk Wira Low Bop Bing, Datuk Clement Allan Skinner and Justice Sangau Gunting of
AUGUST 23, 2011VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SETTING FIRE TO FAMILY
the People's Supreme Court in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, sentenced Nguyen Van Hay, 39, to
AUGUST 21, 2011ThailandDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: THREE SENT TO GALLOWS FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Justice Datuk Zakiah Kassim of the Malaysian High Court sentenced Indonesian national Effendi, 25, and
- AUGUST 19, 2011Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
SRI LANKA: FIVE CHINESE SENTENCED TO DEATH
five Chinese nationals were sentenced to death in Sri Lanka, two in absentia, for murdering
- AUGUST 17, 2011EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT’S MILITARY COURT SENTENCES 5 TO DEATH FOR ROBBERY, MURDER
an Egyptian military court sentenced five unidentified men to death after they robbed a gas station and killed a police commander during the getaway, the official MENA news agency reported. Seven others who were arrested after the May robbery in the Red S
- AUGUST 17, 2011UgandaDEATH PENALTY
UGANDA: TONKU APPEALS DEATH SENTENCE
Thomas Nkulungira, alias Tonku, sentenced to death in Uganda
- AUGUST 17, 2011CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. Judge Kevin McGee sentenced Ricardo Villa, 36, Hispanic, to death
USA - California. Judge Kevin McGee sentenced Ricardo Villa, 36, Hispanic, to death
- AUGUST 14, 2011Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
UAE: HOUSEMAID SENTENCED TO DEATH RETURNS HOME
Sri Lankan housemaid Abdul Kareem Kanzul Maharifa
- AUGUST 12, 2011PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTANI SOLDIER SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER FATAL SHOOTING OF TEEN
a Pakistani court sentenced paramilitary soldier Shahid Zafar to death and fined him $2,300 for shooting unarmed teenager Sarfraz Shah in the southern port city of Karachi in June.
- AUGUST 12, 2011PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: DEATH FOR RAWALPINDI ATTACK ACCUSED
a former Army man has been sentenced to death by a military court in Pakistan for the attack on the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi in October 2009.
- AUGUST 12, 2011OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. Judge Dick Ambrose sentenced serial killer Anthony Sowell, 52, black, to death
USA - Ohio. Judge Dick Ambrose sentenced serial killer Anthony Sowell, 52, black, to death
- AUGUST 11, 2011IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQI OFFICER GETS DEATH FOR KEROSENE SMUGGLING
the Iraqi Integrity Commission said in a statement that the Salaheddin criminal court sentenced an interior ministry lieutenant colonel, a former deputy commander of an oil protection unit in Salaheddin province, to death for smuggling 116 tankers of kero
- AUGUST 11, 2011IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: PRESIDENT REJECTS MERCY PLEA
Indian President Pratibha Patil rejected the clemency petitions of Murugan...
- AUGUST 9, 2011CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. Judge Dewey Falcone sentenced Cimarron Bernard Bell, 37, black, to death
USA - California. Judge Dewey Falcone sentenced Cimarron Bernard Bell, 37, black, to death
- AUGUST 6, 2011LouisianaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Louisiana. A jury has recommended the death penalty for Robert McCoy, 37, black
USA - Louisiana. A jury has recommended the death penalty for Robert McCoy, 37, black
- AUGUST 5, 2011LouisianaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Louisiana. A jury has recommended the death penalty for Eric Mickelson, 42, white
USA - Louisiana. A jury has recommended the death penalty for Eric Mickelson, 42, white
- AUGUST 4, 2011IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA. 2 INDONESIAN MAIDS ON DEATH ROW WIN REPRIEVE
two Indonesian maids sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia were pardoned, the country’s embassy in Riyadh confirmed.
- AUGUST 3, 2011IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: DEATH PENALTY UPHELD FOR DRUG OFFENDER
Ghulam Mallik, 49, from Kashmir, was sentenced to death a second time by the NDPS court in India.
- AUGUST 2, 2011IraqDEATH PENALTY
DEATH PENALTY FOR IRAQ CHURCH ATTACK
an Iraqi court sentenced three unidentified men to death for their role in the October
- JULY 30, 2011IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SHUKLA MURDER CASE: ACCUSED GETS DEATH
Bhavan Sodha was sentenced to death by B A Gadhavi of the Jamnagar sessions court in India for killing teacher Ranjan Shukla and her two children, Devdutt and Komal, on July 13, 2000.
- JULY 30, 2011MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: TWO COPS GET DEATH SENTENCE
policemen Kpl Ailias Yahya and Kons Saiful Azlan Shah Abdullah were sentenced to death in Malaysia by Justice Dr Badariah Sahamid for murdering Indonesian mechanic Yusrizal Yusuf, 38, in Gombak on January 13, 2006.
- JULY 29, 2011LouisianaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Louisiana. Judge June Darensburg sentenced Isaiah Doyle, 28, black, to death
USA - Louisiana. Judge June Darensburg sentenced Isaiah Doyle, 28, black, to death
- JULY 29, 2011South DakotaDEATH PENALTY
USA - South Dakota. A jury unanimously sentenced to death Briley Piper, 31, white
USA - South Dakota. A jury unanimously sentenced to death Briley Piper, 31, white
- JULY 26, 2011Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
SRI LANKA: DEATH PENALTY FOR SELLING HEROIN
in Sri Lanka, D.L. Pathmasiri was sentenced to death by Colombo High Court Judge Padman Surasena for peddling and selling 523 grams of heroin on September 28, 2003.
JULY 26, 2011ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: MAN GETS DEATH FOR FAKE MONEY SCAM
a man was sentenced to death in south China's Guangdong Province for forging
- JULY 26, 2011CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. A jury sentenced Marcus Fletcher, 27, black, to death
USA - California. A jury sentenced Marcus Fletcher, 27, black, to death
JULY 26, 2011JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: DEATH SENTENCE UPHELD AFTER ARSON ATTACK ON VIDEO SHOP IN OSAKA LEFT 16 DEAD
In Japan a high court upheld a lower court ruling that handed the death penalty to a man over
- JULY 25, 2011North CarolinaDEATH PENALTY
USA - North Carolina. Court to Hear First Challenge under State's Racial Justice Act: the case of Marcus Robinson, 34, black
USA - North Carolina. Court to Hear First Challenge under State's Racial Justice Act: the case of Marcus Robinson, 34, black
JULY 25, 2011SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: MILITARY SENTENCES SOLDIER TO DEATH FOR MURDERING COLLEAGUE
the military court of Somalia's interim federal government sentenced to death a soldier