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 1, 2009PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: ONE GETS CAPITAL SENTENCE IN MURDER CASE
in Kasur, Pakistan, Additional District and Sessions Judge Ajmal Hussain sentenced Muhammad Arif to death and fined him to Rs 150,000.
- JULY 1, 2009CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. In Santa Ana, a jury has recommended the death penalty for Carlos Martinez. Martinez
USA - California. In Santa Ana, a jury has recommended the death penalty for Carlos Martinez. Martinez
- JULY 1, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: SIX HANGED FOR MURDER, TWO SPARED
Iran hanged six people for murder, and two others were spared by the families of their victims at the last minute.
- JUNE 30, 2009ArizonaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Arizona. A Maricopa County jury has sentenced Mike Peter Gallardo, 52, to death
USA - Arizona. A Maricopa County jury has sentenced Mike Peter Gallardo, 52, to death
- JUNE 29, 2009BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING JCD LEADER IN SYLHET
at a court in Sylhet, Bangladesh, Speedy Trial Judge Md Mahbubul Islam sentenced a man to death and 10 others life term imprisonment for killing Chhatra Dal leader Enam Ahmed in 2006.
- JUNE 29, 2009BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: YOUNG MAN TO GO TO GALLOWS FOR KILLING WIFE IN NILPHAMARI
a young man was sentenced to death for killing his wife for dowry at a remote village in Kishorganj upazila, Bangladesh, on May 15, 2003.
JUNE 29, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING SIX OLD WOMEN IN BREST REGION
the Brest Regional Court in Belarus sentenced a 30 year old stateless man to death for
- JUNE 27, 2009PhilippinesDEATH PENALTY
PHILIPPINES: 22 PINOYS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
twenty-two Filipinos were sentenced to death for drug trafficking in China.
- JUNE 26, 2009OklahomaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Oklahoma. A Tulsa County jury has recommended that Raymond Johnson be put to death
USA - Oklahoma. A Tulsa County jury has recommended that Raymond Johnson be put to death
- JUNE 26, 2009ArkansasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Arkansas. A jury sentenced Jason Lee Taylor to death
USA - Arkansas. A jury sentenced Jason Lee Taylor to death
- JUNE 25, 2009PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN. MAN CONVICTED OF MURDER
Additional District and Sessions Judge Sanaullah Khan Niazi handed down capital punishment with a fine of Rs 500,000 to an accused involved in a murder case of Gunjial police station in Pakistan.
- JUNE 24, 2009TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen have been released from Jail
USA - Texas. Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen have been released from Jail
- JUNE 23, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: NIGERIAN GETS DEATH IN SOUTH CHINA
four people convicted of drug trafficking were sentenced to death by the Dongguan Intermediate People's Court in south China's Guangdong Province
- JUNE 23, 2009CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. A jury has recommended the death penalty for Justin Grodin
USA - California. A jury has recommended the death penalty for Justin Grodin
JUNE 22, 2009ZambiaDEATH PENALTYZAMBIA: THREE BROTHERS TO HANG FOR KILLING DAD
the Lusaka High Court in Zambia sentenced three brothers to death for killing their father using sticks and other objects.
- JUNE 21, 2009EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT TRIBAL MEMBERS GET DEATH
eleven members of an Egyptian Bedouin tribe were sentenced to death for killing a member of a rival tribe in front of his wife and young children
- JUNE 21, 2009UgandaDEATH PENALTY
UGANDA: LUWERO MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH
the Ugandan High Court in Luwero sentenced a 38-year-old man to death for killing his neighbour’s wife.
- JUNE 21, 2009YemenDEATH PENALTY
YEMEN: MUSLIM SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING YEMENI JEW
a Yemeni appeals court sentenced a Muslim convicted of killing a Yemeni Jew to death, overturning a previous verdict ordering the man to pay the victim's family a fine instead of facing capital punishment.
- JUNE 18, 2009PakistanDEATH PENALTY
2 BROTHERS AWARDED CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR MURDER OF COUSIN
the court of Additional Sessions Judge Gambat Syed Manzar Hussain Zaidi awarded capital punishment to two brothers in Khairpur, Pakistan.
- JUNE 17, 2009FloridaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Florida. Jury recommended the death penalty for Eric Kurt Patrick
USA - Florida. Jury recommended the death penalty for Eric Kurt Patrick
- JUNE 17, 2009South CarolinaDEATH PENALTY
USA - South Carolina. Judge James Williams today resentenced Clinton Robert Northcutt to death
USA - South Carolina. Judge James Williams today resentenced Clinton Robert Northcutt to death
- JUNE 16, 2009PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: ONE GETS DEATH PENALTY
Additional district and session judge Kasur Aaqil Hussain Chohan awarded the death
- JUNE 15, 2009CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. A jury sentenced Jason Alejandro Aguirre to death
USA - California. A jury sentenced Jason Alejandro Aguirre to death
- JUNE 12, 2009MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA; DEATH SENTENCE FOR THREE FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
three men were sentenced to death by the Malaysian High Court for trafficking in 45.49kg of cannabis on November 1, 2002.
- JUNE 10, 2009QatarDEATH PENALTY
QATAR: MAN GIVEN DEATH PENALTY SEEKS RETRIAL
a man sentenced to death in absentia by a criminal court in Doha, Qatar, filed a plea for reopening the trial
- JUNE 9, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR MAN OVER 2003 MURDERS
Japan's Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Mitsunori Onogawa, 32, sentenced to death over two separate murders in Gunma Prefecture in 2003.
- JUNE 9, 2009BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: 5 AWARDED DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING MAN IN NARSINGDI
five people, including four brothers, were sentenced to death and three others to life term imprisonment by a court in Narsingdi, Bangladesh.
- JUNE 9, 2009SudanDEATH PENALTY
SUDAN: MORE DARFUR REBELS SENTENCED TO DEATH
a Sudanese court sentenced another 12 Darfur rebels to death for a 2008 attack on
- JUNE 8, 2009IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: DEATH PENALTY FOR MASTERMIND OF SHANGAL TOWN EXPLOSION
a man was sentenced to death for blowing up his car in front of the office of Kurdistan Democratic Party Brach 17 in Shangal town in Iraq in 2005, killing 15.
- JUNE 8, 2009ColoradoDEATH PENALTY
USA - Colorado. Robert Ray was sentenced to death today by an Arapahoe County jury
USA - Colorado. Robert Ray was sentenced to death today by an Arapahoe County jury