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
- DECEMBER 15, 2008GuineaDEATH PENALTY
the Conakry Court of Assizes, in Guinea...
the Conakry Court of Assizes, in Guinea...
- DECEMBER 15, 2008AlabamaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Alabama. A Cleburne County jury has recommended 11-1 death for Mark Dwyatt Brown
USA - Alabama. A Cleburne County jury has recommended 11-1 death for Mark Dwyatt Brown
- DECEMBER 12, 2008Sierra LeoneDEATH PENALTY
SIERRA LEONE: SUCCESSFUL APPEAL STRENGTHENS CASE FOR ABOLITION
a court in Sierra Leone overturned treason convictions for 11 men. It is the first successful appeal against a
- DECEMBER 11, 2008IndiaDEATH PENALTY
the Patna High Court in India acquitted a convict facing capital punishment of the charges of kidnapping and murdering
the Patna High Court in India acquitted a convict facing capital punishment of the charges of kidnapping and murdering
- DECEMBER 11, 2008ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: SWINDLER GETS SUSPENDED DEATH SENTENCE
a Chinese court gave a suspended death sentence to a man accused of swindling investors out of 98m yuan ($14m) through a get-rich-quick clover-growing scheme.
DECEMBER 11, 2008TanzaniaDEATH PENALTYTANZANIA: UKONGA DEATH ROW INMATES ON DAY 6 OF HUNGER STRIKE
it is almost one week since a number of death row inmates at Ukonga Prison in Dar es Salaam,
- DECEMBER 11, 2008ArkansasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Arkansas. A Washington County jury recommended the death penalty for Zachariah Scott Marcyniuk
USA - Arkansas. A Washington County jury recommended the death penalty for Zachariah Scott Marcyniuk
- DECEMBER 10, 2008ChinaDEATH PENALTY
LAWMAKER IN CHINA'S ANHUI GETS SUSPENDED DEATH PENALTY FOR BRIBES
a local official was sentenced to death with a two-year stay for taking 6 million yuan (about US$875,000) worth of bribes, by the Fuyang Intermediate Court of east China's Anhui Province.
- DECEMBER 10, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI: THREE DEATH ROW PRISONERS ESCAPE FROM SAUDI PRISON
three prisoners sentenced to death escaped Malas prison in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh after attacking a prison guard, an official Saudi source said.
DECEMBER 7, 2008QatarDEATH PENALTYQATAR: APPEALS COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE IN MAID MURDER CASE
a Doha Appeals Court commuted the death sentence given to a 31 year old Egyptian woman, accused of
- DECEMBER 5, 2008IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: HC COMMUTES TO LIFE CHILD KILLER'S DEATH SENTENCE
a man sentenced to death for murdering a child had his death sentenced commuted to life imprisonment by the Madras high court in India.
- DECEMBER 4, 2008AlgeriaDEATH PENALTY
ALGERIAN COURT SENTENCES 10 ISLAMISTS TO DEATH
a court in Algeria sentenced 10 Islamists to death in absentia on charges of participating in attacks, the APS news agency reported.
- DECEMBER 4, 2008TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Historic low number of death sentences in Texas in 2008
USA - Texas. Historic low number of death sentences in Texas in 2008
- DECEMBER 3, 2008AlgeriaDEATH PENALTY
ALGERIA HANDS ISLAMIST DEATH SENTENCE
an Algerian Islamist convicted of homicide and being part of a terrorist group was sentenced to death by a
- DECEMBER 3, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
Reza Alinejad, the minor offender who was sentenced to death...
Reza Alinejad, the minor offender who was sentenced to death...
- DECEMBER 3, 2008KansasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Kansas. Crawford County District Judge Donald Noland upheld a jury's recommendation and issued a death sentence to Gary Kleypas
USA - Kansas. Crawford County District Judge Donald Noland upheld a jury's recommendation and issued a death sentence to Gary Kleypas
- DECEMBER 2, 2008IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ'S 'CHEMICAL ALI' GETS SECOND DEATH SENTENCE
Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as "Chemical Ali", received a second death sentence for the mass killing of
- DECEMBER 2, 2008YemenDEATH PENALTY
a court of Sana'a city, Yemen, sentenced Salem Mubarak al-Saydi to death
a court of Sana'a city, Yemen, sentenced Salem Mubarak al-Saydi to death
- DECEMBER 1, 2008IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: CLEMENCY SOUGHT FOR 11
the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) sought clemency for 11 people given the death penalty by the special sessions court, which heard cases regarding the serial church blasts across Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh in 2000.
- DECEMBER 1, 2008VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING TWO
a court in southern Vietnam handed down the death sentence to 23-year-old Ho Duy Hai for robbing and murdering two female post office staff.
- NOVEMBER 30, 2008BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH IN RUSHO MURDER CASE
the Speedy Trial Tribunal in Dhaka, Bangladesh, sentenced two people to death and seven others to life term imprisonment in the sensational Rusho murder case.
- NOVEMBER 30, 2008PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: THREE GET DEATH SENTENCE IN KIDNAPPING AND MURDER CASE
an Anti Terrorism Court in Pakistan handed down the death sentence on two counts to three accused after finding them guilty of kidnapping and murdering a boy in September, 2006
- NOVEMBER 30, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
COUPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH IN IRAN
A pregnant woman and her husband were sentenced to death in Iran under charges of drug trafficking,
- NOVEMBER 28, 2008ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: THREE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR BEIJING TAXI MURDER SPREE
a Beijing court sentenced three men to death for a spree of taxi driver killings that haunted China's capital for years.
- NOVEMBER 28, 2008BruneiDEATH PENALTY
BRUNEIAN'S DEATH PENALTY QUASHED BY APPEALS COURT
a 28 year old Brunei fisherman, caught in an anti-drug raid and condemned to die, escaped the gallows when the Brunei Appeals Court set him free.
- NOVEMBER 27, 2008AlgeriaDEATH PENALTY
a court in Boumerdes, Algeria, sentenced Said Zoughli...
a court in Boumerdes, Algeria, sentenced Said Zoughli...
- NOVEMBER 26, 2008IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: DEATH SENTENCE FOR RAPE AND MURDER OF TEENAGED GIRL
the Mahila court in Coimbatore, India, awarded the death sentence to a daily wage worker for kidnapping, raping and murdering a teenaged girl three years ago
- NOVEMBER 26, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: IMMINENT EXECUTION OF FARZAD KAMANGAR
Farzad Kamangar, the Iranian Kurdish teacher and social worker sentenced to death on, according to his lawyer, "absolutely zero evidence", could be hanged on November 26, 2008 ITUC warned.
NOVEMBER 26, 2008PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: SIX AWARDED DEATH SENTENCES IN SEPARATE CASES
six men convicted for murder were sentenced to death in Pakistan.
NOVEMBER 26, 2008United States Armed ForcesDEATH PENALTYUSA: EXECUTION STAY FOR RONALD GRAY
The federal Judge Richard Rogers has issued a stay in Ronald Gray’s execution, that