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
JULY 18, 2024MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: FEDERAL COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE OF ZARA’S MURDERER
The Federal Court on July 2, 2024 upheld the death sentence imposed on a former barber for the murder of an 11-month-old baby girl known as ‘Zara’ who suffered serious vaginal injuries due to sexual assault, six years ago.
- JULY 17, 2024Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: DEATH PENALTY FOR CITIZEN WHO COMMITTED MULTIPLE ACTS OF TERROR
A Saudi national was given a death penalty on July 11, 2024 after committing multiple acts of terror, as per the country's Ministry of Interior.
JULY 17, 2024NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: TWO TO DIE BY HANGING FOR MURDER, RAPE IN DELTA
A Delta State High Court sitting at Ibusa, Oshimili North Local Government Area on July 1st, 2024 sentenced two men, Mr Ojerbo Solomon and Mr Ola Babatunde, to death after eight years of trials.
JULY 17, 2024FloridaDEATH PENALTYUSA - Florida. Judge James H. Daniel sentenced Patrick McDowell to death
JULY 16, 2024CaliforniaDEATH PENALTYUSA - California. 3 death sentences reduced
Ernest Dykes, Keith Thomas, Gregory Tate
- JULY 11, 2024IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQI COURT SENTENCES WIDOW OF FORMER ISIS LEADER AL-BAGHDADI TO DEATH
An Iraqi court on July 10, 2024 sentenced the widow of former longtime Islamic State (ISIS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to death for enslaving kidnapped Yazidi women, state media reported.
JULY 11, 2024PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: YOUNG CHRISTIAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR BLASPHEMY
The Anti-Terrorism Court in Sahiwal has sentenced the young Christian Ehsan Shan to death for allegedly sharing a blasphemous post on social media, considered the cause of the violence in Jaranwala on August 16, 2023.
JULY 11, 2024BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: SIX TO BE HANGED IN MURDER CASE IN CUMILLA
A Cumilla court has sentenced six people to death and 10 others to life term imprisonment for killing a man named Nurul Haque over land dispute in Brahmanpara upazila of the district in 2011.
JULY 11, 2024FloridaDEATH PENALTYUSA - Florida. Julio Rivera sentenced to death
- JULY 10, 2024MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: FEDERAL COURT COMMUTES MAN'S DEATH SENTENCE TO 38 YEARS JAIL FOR MURDERING TRANSVESTITE
A former scrap metal dealer’s death sentence for killing a transvestite 15 years ago has been commuted to 38 years in jail by the Federal Court, Bernama reported on July 4, 2024.
JULY 10, 2024IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: ISIS SUSPECT SENTENCED TO DEATH
An Iraqi court on July 9, 2024 handed a death sentence to a suspected Islamic State (ISIS) member in Salahaddin province, state media reported.
JULY 10, 2024PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: TWO MURDER CONVICTS SENTENCED TO DEATH IN DIFFERENT MURDER CASES
An Attock court has awarded capital punishment to two convicts on charges of killing two persons in two different murder cases registered against them in Jand and Bassal Police stations respectively, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported on July 3, 20
JULY 10, 2024CaliforniaDEATH PENALTYUSA - California. Alexis Daniel Rosas sentenced to death
JULY 9, 2024Congo - KinshasaDEATH PENALTYD R CONGO: TWO MORE SOLDIERS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR FLEEING BATTLE
Two more solders have been sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo after they fled battles in conflict-torn North Kivu province, a military court said on July 5, 2024
JULY 9, 2024BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: FOUR GET DEATH, 10 LIFE SENTENCES FOR 2012 MURDER OF BRAHMANBARIA AL LEADER IQBAL AZAD
A tribunal has sentenced four people to death and 10 to life in prison for the 2012 murder of Sarail Upazila Awami League leader Iqbal Azad in Brahmanbaria.
- JULY 8, 2024JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER MURDER-ROBBERY
A 39-year-old man was sentenced to death on July 2, 2024 for murdering an elderly woman and her son and robbing them at her residence in Oita Prefecture, southwestern Japan, in 2020.
JULY 8, 2024MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: DEATH SENTENCE FOR INDONESIAN CLEANER’S MURDERER COMMUTED TO 35 YEARS JAIL
The Court of Appeal of Putrajaya on June 24, 2024 commuted the death sentence imposed on a 41-year-old man to 35 years in jail for murdering an Indonesian house cleaner in 2017 after she allegedly badmouthed him.
JULY 8, 2024Congo - KinshasaDEATH PENALTYDR CONGO: 25 SOLDIERS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR FLEEING BATTLE
Twenty-five soldiers have been sentenced to death by a military tribunal in the Democratic Republic of Congo for fleeing battles against M23 rebels and theft, their lawyer and an army spokesman said on July 4, 2024.
- JULY 6, 2024IraqDEATH PENALTY
SWEDEN SAYS THREE CITIZENS GIVEN DEATH SENTENCES IN IRAQ OVER SHOOTING
Three Swedish citizens have been sentenced to death in Iraq over their involvement in a shooting and a fourth may also face the same punishment over a separate crime, the Swedish foreign ministry said on July 4, 2024.
JULY 4, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Sharifeh Mohammadi Sentenced to Death
- JULY 3, 2024PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: TWO GET DEATH SENTENCE IN BOMBING CASE
Two men on July 1, 2024 were sentenced to death and three times life imprisonment in the Ganjmandi police station bomb blast case by verdict of Judge Malik Ijaz Asif of the Special Anti-Terrorism Court of Rawalpindi.
JULY 3, 2024IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: ANOTHER SWEDISH CITIZEN SENTENCED TO DEATH
Another Swedish citizen has been sentenced to death in Iraq by a court decision, Report News Agency informed on July 2, 2024 referring to the Dagens Nyheter newspaper citing the press service of the Swedish Foreign Ministry.
- JULY 2, 2024ThailandDEATH PENALTY
THAILAND: SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE AGAINST FORMER DEPUTY MINISTER BANYIN
The Supreme Court on June 27, 2024 upheld the death sentence issued against former deputy commerce minister Banyin Tangpakorn by the lower courts for premeditated murder of a construction businessman back in 2015.
JULY 1, 2024NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: SUPREME COURT FREES SOLDIER ON DEATH ROW AFTER 12 YEARS
The Supreme Court on June 28, 2024 discharged and acquitted a Nigerian Army Sergeant, Akawu Bala from the death sentence imposed on him by the General Court Martial of the Nigerian Army.
JULY 1, 2024KuwaitDEATH PENALTYKUWAIT: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR WIFE’S MURDER AND DISMEMBERMENT
The Court of Appeal on June 30, 2024 rendered a verdict to execute a Kuwaiti citizen convicted of murdering his wife and dismembering her body after she revealed she was pregnant by him.
JULY 1, 2024United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - California. Larry Roberts Becomes the 200th Person Exonerated from Death Row
JUNE 27, 2024FloridaDEATH PENALTYUSA - Florida. Ysrael Granda sentenced to death
JUNE 26, 2024PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR BURNING WIFE ALIVE
Faisalabad Additional Sessions Judge Abul Hassnat sentenced a man to death for burning his wife alive two years ago in Raza Abad police limits, The Nation reported on June 25, 2024.
- JUNE 26, 2024MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: FEDERAL COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE OF FORMER BUSINESSMAN FOR MURDER OF UUM GRADUATE 18 YEARS AGO
The Federal Court in Putrajaya on May 29, 2024 upheld the death sentence of a former businessman for the murder of a female marketing executive 18 years ago.
JUNE 26, 2024FloridaDEATH PENALTYUSA - Florida. Jury recommends death penalty for Zephen Xaver