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
- APRIL 30, 2009PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: SON AWARDED DEATH SENTENCE, FATHER ACQUITTED
in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Additional District and Sessions Judge Mustafa Tanvir Safwat awarded the death sentence to a murder accused and imposed a fine of Rs100,000. Muhammad Ikhlaq, his father Muhammad Riaz, Muhammad Ashfaq, Muhammad Zulfiqar and Muhamma
- APRIL 30, 2009SudanDEATH PENALTY
SUDAN: SENTENCED TO DEATH, DARFUR MEN FACE ‘HORRIFIC TREATMENT’
the 82 Darfuri men sentenced to death by special courts in Khartoum...
- APRIL 30, 2009AlabamaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Alabama. Judge Charles Graddick sentenced Lam Luong to death.
USA - Alabama. Judge Charles Graddick sentenced Lam Luong to death.
- APRIL 30, 2009UgandaDEATH PENALTY
UGANDA: FIVE MEN ESCAPE THE GALLOWS
five men convicted of aggravated robbery and sentenced to death in Uganda by the High Court escaped the gallows when the Court of Appeal acquitted them.
- APRIL 29, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: MAN CONVICTED OF POLICE KILLING EXECUTED IN BEIJING
a man convicted of the killing of a Beijing police officer was executed by gunshot in China, according to the Beijing No.1 Intermediate People's Court. Zhang Xinlei, 24, was sentenced to death in November 2008 for killing Tang Chengwen, 39, in Mentougou d
- APRIL 29, 2009MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIAN’S EXECUTION IMMINENT IN CHINA
“Malaysian Ong Kim Fatt’s execution is taking place after all avenues to commute his sentence were exhausted,” said MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Michael Chong
- APRIL 28, 2009Palestinian TerritoriesDEATH PENALTY
HEBRON: PALESTINIAN MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SELLING LAND TO ISRAELIS
a Palestinian court sentenced a man to death by hanging for selling West Bank land to
- APRIL 28, 2009PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: MAN AWARDED DEATH SENTENCE
Additional District and Sessions Judge Chaudhry Abdul Haq awarded death sentence to a man and life imprisonment to a woman for the murder of woman’s husband.
- APRIL 27, 2009SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
a pregnant woman was sentenced to death in the Puntland region of Somalia for the murder of another woman.
a pregnant woman was sentenced to death in the Puntland region of Somalia for the murder of another woman.
APRIL 27, 2009VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: FOUR SENTENCED TO DEATH IN NOTORIOUS HCMC GANG TRIAL
the five-day trial of a notorious Ho Chi Minh City gang in Vietnam ended with four
- APRIL 26, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: INDIAN SPARED DEATH SENTENCE, RETURNS HOME
Indian national Abu Rafe, 27, who was sentenced to death by the Abha Central Court in Saudi Arabia in 2007 for murder, was set free by the same court.
- APRIL 26, 2009AlgeriaDEATH PENALTY
in Algeria, five members of an armed group were sentenced to death by a court in Boumerdès.
in Algeria, five members of an armed group were sentenced to death by a court in Boumerdès.
- APRIL 24, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA POST OFFICIAL GETS DEATH FOR STEALING $190 MLN
a southern China post office director was sentenced to death for stealing more than 1.3 billion yuan (US$190 million) to help pay her gambling debts, a local court said.
- APRIL 23, 2009South CarolinaDEATH PENALTY
USA - South Carolina. Circuit Judge Ned Miller sentenced Jerry Buck Inman to death
USA - South Carolina. Circuit Judge Ned Miller sentenced Jerry Buck Inman to death
- APRIL 22, 2009CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. A Madera County jury voted unanimously to give serial killer Jose Guerrero the death penalty
USA - California. A Madera County jury voted unanimously to give serial killer Jose Guerrero the death penalty
APRIL 22, 2009IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: APEX COURT CONFIRMS DEATH SENTENCE FOR KERALA MURDER
the Indian Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence of a Kerala man for
- APRIL 22, 2009FloridaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Florida. A Lake County jury recommended 8-4 death for Donte Hall
USA - Florida. A Lake County jury recommended 8-4 death for Donte Hall
- APRIL 21, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: 3 SENTENCED OVER ARSON IN 2008 TIBET RIOTS
the Tibet Daily reported that a Chinese court sentenced a Tibetan girl to death with a two-year reprieve and two others to long jail terms for setting fires that allegedly killed six people in the Lhasa riot in March 2008.
APRIL 21, 2009JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: WOMAN LOSES DEATH SENTENCE APPEAL
a Japanese woman found guilty of murder lost her appeal against a death sentence, a
- APRIL 20, 2009UgandaDEATH PENALTY
UGANDA: THREE HANDED DEATH SENTENCES FOR MURDER
two women were sentenced to death by after Justice Lawrence Gidudu, at a court in Uganda, found them guilty of murder.
APRIL 19, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: DELARA'S EXECUTION POSTPONED
Iranian human rights activists say the execution of juvenile offender Delara Darabi has been postponed. Darabi, who was due to be executed on April 20, was sentenced to death for a murder she allegedly committed at the age of 17.
- APRIL 18, 2009PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: DEATH SENTENCE REDUCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
a division bench of the Lahore High Court in Pakistan, consisting of Justice Tariq Shamim and Justice Saifur Rehman, reduced the death sentence of three robbers, including two women, to life imprisonment.
- APRIL 17, 2009DEATH PENALTY
GEORGIA (USA): FEDERAL COURT REJECTS TROY DAVIS’ APPEAL
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit denied habeas corpus relief to
- APRIL 17, 2009PhilippinesDEATH PENALTY
FILIPINA GETS SUSPENDED DEATH SENTENCE FOR COCAINE TRAFFICKING
a Filipino woman was given the death penalty...
- APRIL 17, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
EX-AIDE TO CHINA OFFICIAL SENTENCED TO DEATH
a Chinese court handed down capital punishment to a former aide to late Vice Premier Huang Ju for taking bribes worth 12.9 million yuan ($1.9 million) from 1995-2006, a website operated by People's Daily reported.
- APRIL 17, 2009DEATH PENALTY
USA - Georgia. Troy Davis Appeal Rejected.
USA - Georgia. Troy Davis Appeal Rejected.
- APRIL 16, 2009PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: TWO CONDEMNED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING THEIR FATHER
two brothers in Sindh, Pakistan, were condemned to death. Malik Dino and Muhammad Khan allegedly killed their father, Badaruddin Mangrejo, and threw his body into the canal in 2007.
APRIL 16, 2009SudanDEATH PENALTYSUDAN: RIGHTS GROUP CALL TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
the Sudan Human Rights Organisation (SHRO) criticised Sudanese Courts for
APRIL 15, 2009SudanDEATH PENALTYSUDAN: 10 DARFUR REBELS SENTENCED TO DEATH
A Sudanese court condemned 10 rebels from the Darfur rebel Justice and Equality Movement to death for an unprecedented attack on Khartoum in 2008 which killed more than 220 people.
APRIL 15, 2009EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
an Egyptian man was sentenced to death by a court of Giza, Egypt, which found him guilty of the murders of two girls in 2008.