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
- NOVEMBER 22, 2009SudanDEATH PENALTY
SUDAN: SIX CHILDREN SENTENCED TO DIE OVER REBEL RAID
Sudan sentenced six children to death for taking part in a Darfur rebel attack on Khartoum but has since
- NOVEMBER 20, 2009IraqDEATH PENALTY
SUNNI LEADER IN IRAQ SENTENCED TO DEATH
Sunni leader Adil al-Mashhadani was sentenced to death, in Iraq, for terrorism according to Justice Ministry spokesman Abdul-Sattar Bayrkdar.
- NOVEMBER 20, 2009ArizonaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Arizona. James Wallace has been sentenced to die
USA - Arizona. James Wallace has been sentenced to die
- NOVEMBER 19, 2009DEATH PENALTY
KENTUCKY (USA): INMATE DIES WHILE WAITING FOR EXECUTION
A death row inmate who once played a role in a controversial Benetton clothing advertising campaign
- NOVEMBER 19, 2009BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: DEATH SENTENCES FOR 1975 KILLING OF BANGLADESHI LEADER
the Bangladeshi Supreme Court rejected final appeals by five former soldiers sentenced to death in the 1975 killing of the country’s independence leader in a military coup
- NOVEMBER 19, 2009South CarolinaDEATH PENALTY
USA - South Carolina. A jury sentenced Stephen Stanko to death
USA - South Carolina. A jury sentenced Stephen Stanko to death
- NOVEMBER 18, 2009BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: 2 SENTENCED TO DEATH IN BARGUNA, KUSHTIA
two people in Bangladesh were sentenced to death by separate courts.
- NOVEMBER 18, 2009JordanDEATH PENALTY
JORDAN: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE, DOUBLE MURDER
Judges Atef Jaradat, Qassem Dughmi and Nahar Ghazo of the Amman Criminal Court in Jordan sentenced
- NOVEMBER 17, 2009MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: DEATH FOR GANJA TRAFFICKING
a pirated VCD seller was sentenced to death by the Malaysian High Court. Ng Kam Wei, 31, allegedly trafficked 8,529.5g of ganja in Taman Selasih, Kulim, on December 22, 2005.
- NOVEMBER 17, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: SUSPENDED DEATH SENTENCE FOR TIBETAN FOR SEPARATISM
a Tibetan was handed a suspended death sentence by the intermediate people’s Court of Nyarong (Chinese: Xinlong) County in China, said Dharamsala-based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy.
- NOVEMBER 17, 2009ArizonaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Arizona. A jury sentenced Pete Van Winkle to death
USA - Arizona. A jury sentenced Pete Van Winkle to death
- NOVEMBER 16, 2009AlabamaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Alabama. A jury has recommended Timothy Scott Boyle be sentenced to death
USA - Alabama. A jury has recommended Timothy Scott Boyle be sentenced to death
- NOVEMBER 16, 2009TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. A jury has sentenced Demontrell Miller to death
USA - Texas. A jury has sentenced Demontrell Miller to death
- NOVEMBER 16, 2009PennsylvaniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Pennsylvania. A jury sentenced Harve Lamar Johnson to death
USA - Pennsylvania. A jury sentenced Harve Lamar Johnson to death
- NOVEMBER 15, 2009EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: 2 CHRISTIANS FACE DEATH PENALTY
two Egyptian Christians were sentenced to death for the murder of a Muslim man who married one of their relatives after she converted to Islam, a judicial source said
NOVEMBER 15, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: FORMER DEATH ROW DUO AWARDED COMPENSATION
two wrongly condemned death row inmates were granted state compensation in China after they were
- NOVEMBER 13, 2009MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: TWO MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING EX-UITM LECTURER
two friends were sentenced to death by the Shah Alam High Court in Malaysia for murdering UiTM lecturer Bakarudin Busu on February 12, 2002.
- NOVEMBER 13, 2009PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: TWO GET DEATH SENTENCE IN DOUBLE MURDER CASE
in Pattoki, Pakistan, Additional district and sessions judge Manzoor Hussain Dogar awarded the death sentence and a fine of Rs 500,000 each to Shaukat Ali and Sher Ali.
NOVEMBER 13, 2009UgandaDEATH PENALTYUGANDA: FIVE DEATH ROW INMATES PARDONED
five inmates waiting to be hanged for more than 20 years were released by Luzira Prison authorities
- NOVEMBER 12, 2009IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH IN MURDER CASE
in Puducherry, India, Second Additional Sessions Judge Siddarthar sentenced S Sreekumar and K Kumaran, both from Madurai, to death for killing Sankar from Subramaniyapuram in January 2001 in a rouse to get money off a leisure centre owner.
- NOVEMBER 12, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: PRISONERS OF CHILD GET DEATH
a Medina court in Saudi Arabia sentenced an Egyptian man and his sister to death for kidnapping an Afghani girl and keeping her prisoner for four years.
- NOVEMBER 12, 2009MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
the Malaysian High Court sentenced Helmi Mohd Hussin...
the Malaysian High Court sentenced Helmi Mohd Hussin...
NOVEMBER 12, 2009JordanDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: FOUR JORDANIANS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUGS
a court in El-Tor, Egypt, sentenced four Jordanians to death for trying to smuggle hashish. The verdict has
- NOVEMBER 11, 2009PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: ADSJ AWARDS DEATH SENTENCE TO TWO ACCUSED
in Jhang, Pakistan, Additional District and Sessions Judge Javed-Ul-Hassan Chisti awarded the death sentence and a fine of Rs one lakh each to Jamshed and Rab Nawaz for murdering Sajjada Nashin in 2006
NOVEMBER 11, 2009KuwaitDEATH PENALTYKUWAIT: EGYPTIAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING COMPATRIOT
the Kuwaiti Criminal Court sentenced an Egyptian man, identified only as Ismail M., to death for murdering
- NOVEMBER 10, 2009YemenDEATH PENALTY
YEMEN: TEENAGER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE AND MURDER
A teenager who raped and killed a girl child was sentenced to death by a Taiz Primary Court and also fined
- NOVEMBER 9, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
a court in Medina sentenced a Lebanese man to death for the undefined crime of practicing
a court in Medina sentenced a Lebanese man to death for the undefined crime of practicing
- NOVEMBER 8, 2009BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: HUSBAND, SISTER-IN-LAW TO DIE FOR MURDER
a husband and sister-in-law were sentenced to death by a court in Rajshahi, Bangaldesh, for poisoning Shulekha Khatun from Chuniapara village under Durgapur upazila of the district on February 28, 2004.
- NOVEMBER 5, 2009DelawareDEATH PENALTY
USA - Delaware. A jury has recommended the death penalty for Emmett Taylor III.
USA - Delaware. A jury has recommended the death penalty for Emmett Taylor III.
- NOVEMBER 5, 2009OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Pennsylvania / Ohio. A jury has decided against the death penalty for Terrell Yarbroug
USA - Pennsylvania / Ohio. A jury has decided against the death penalty for Terrell Yarbroug