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 21, 2007KenyaDEATH PENALTY
KENYA: MAN SENT TO THE GALLOWS FOR SECOND TIME
a Kenyan court imposed the death sentence
- NOVEMBER 19, 2007BotswanaDEATH PENALTY
BOTSWANA. TSOBANE SENTENCED TO DEATH
Justice Modiri Letsididi sentenced a man to death in Gaborone, Botswana, for
- NOVEMBER 19, 2007ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: WOMAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDER
a woman was sentenced to death by the Shanghai No. 2 Intermediate People's Court in China for murdering two old men at her home in 2006.
- NOVEMBER 19, 2007PhilippinesDEATH PENALTY
FILIPINO SPARED FROM DEATH IN TAIF REUNITED WITH FAMILY
Ronilo Arandia, a Filipino driver working in Saudi Arabia, who was spared from execution in Taif, arrived back in the Philippines.
- NOVEMBER 19, 2007TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
FILIPINO WOMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING TAIWANESE WOMAN FOR CASH
a Taiwan prosecutor sentenced a Filipino woman to death for killing a Taiwanese woman for money.
- NOVEMBER 16, 2007ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: DRUG KINGPIN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN BEIJING
a drug kingpin was sentenced to death in Beijing, China, in the largest drug-manufacturing case ever busted in the capital.
- NOVEMBER 14, 2007ChinaDEATH PENALTY
FORMER DIPLOMAT SENTENCED TO DEATH IN CHINA, SANKEI REPORTS
a former Chinese diplomat who served in Japan until 2001 was sentenced to death in China on charges he provided military information to a Japanese national, the Sankei newspaper reported from Beijing
- NOVEMBER 13, 2007AfghanistanDEATH PENALTY
AFGHAN GOVERNMENT DEFENDS CHAOTIC EXECUTION
Government officials are defending last month's execution of 15 prisoners, despite of claims that the operation was a roadside slaughter.
- NOVEMBER 12, 2007ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. SEPARATISTS FACE DEATH PENALTY
A Chinese court has sentenced six “terrorists” to death or life imprisonment for
- NOVEMBER 12, 2007CanadaDEATH PENALTY
a new poll indicates respondents oppose...
a new poll indicates respondents oppose...
- NOVEMBER 10, 2007DEATH PENALTY
SUDAN. 16 YEAR OLD BOY SENTENCED TO DEATH
a 16 year old boy is among a group of people facing the death sentence in Sudan for their alleged role in the
- NOVEMBER 10, 2007AlgeriaDEATH PENALTY
ALGERIA. 2 GIA TERRORIST CHIEFS SENTENCED TO DEATH BY ALGIERS COURT
in Algiers, Algeria, a criminal court sentenced two ringleaders of a GIA terrorist group operating in the Mitidja region to death. Rachid, known as Abou Tourab, and Laama G. Hocine, known as Mossaab, “sowed mayhem and destruction” for nearly a decade in t
- NOVEMBER 10, 2007SudanDEATH PENALTY
10 GET DEATH PENALTY FOR SUDAN JOURNALIST MURDER
a Sudanese court sentenced 10 people to death for the murder of a Sudanese journalist last year.
- NOVEMBER 9, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS KURDISH JOURNALIST'S DEATH SENTENCE
Iran's Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence handed to Kurdish journalist
- NOVEMBER 9, 2007VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. THREE WOMEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TRAFFICKING HEROIN
a Vietnamese court sentenced three women to death and two other people to life
- NOVEMBER 8, 2007BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
ONE SENTENCED TO DEATH IN MURDER CASE
in Bangladesh, a Sirajganj court sentenced a man to death, four to life imprisonment and another to rigorous imprisonment for a year in a murder case.
- NOVEMBER 5, 2007YemenDEATH PENALTY
SIX YEMENIS CONDEMNED TO DEATH FOR OFFICIAL'S MURDER
SIX YEMENIS CONDEMNED TO DEATH FOR OFFICIAL'S MURDER
- NOVEMBER 2, 2007BotswanaDEATH PENALTY
BOTSWANA. POPO HANGED SECRETLY - JOINA
Thema Joina, the lawyer of Sepeni Popo, said his
- NOVEMBER 1, 2007ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF COP
in China, a Beijing court sentenced two cousins from Henan Province to death for murdering a police officer. Zhang Xinlei, 24, and Zhang Xinliang, 35, were convicted in Beijing No 1 People's Court of killing Tang Chengwen, 39, a police officer in Beijing'
- NOVEMBER 1, 2007IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA: CORRUPTION AND DEATH PENALTY A RISKY MIX, SAY EXPERTS
Indonesian human rights activists joined the chorus of those condemning a ruling by the country’s Constitutional Court...
- NOVEMBER 1, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
SOGHRA NAJAFPOUR, SENTENCED TO DEATH AT 13, FACES RISK OF EXECUTION
a woman sentenced to death as a 13 year old faces the risk of execution...
- OCTOBER 31, 2007BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: HUSBAND SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING WIFE
a man was sentenced to death by a court in Dinajpur, Bangladesh, for murdering his wife for dowry seven years ago. Judge of the Women and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal Badsha Alamgir delivered the verdict in a crowded courtroom.
- OCTOBER 31, 2007PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE AND MURDER
in Kasur, Pakistan, Additional District and Session Judge Abdul Haseeb Shaikh sentenced two people to death.
- OCTOBER 31, 2007VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAMESE MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
VIETNAMESE MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
- OCTOBER 31, 2007MississippiDEATH PENALTY
19 minutes before a Mississippi prisoner was scheduled to die by lethal injection...
19 minutes before a Mississippi prisoner was scheduled to die by lethal injection...
- OCTOBER 30, 2007IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
AMNESTY CRITICISES INDONESIA DEATH PENALTY RULING
AMNESTY CRITICISES INDONESIA DEATH PENALTY RULING
- OCTOBER 30, 2007MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Judge Datuk Abdul Rahim Uda of the High Court in George Town...
- OCTOBER 22, 2007BotswanaDEATH PENALTY
BOTSWANA. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
Justice Thomas Masuku sentenced 31 year
- OCTOBER 22, 2007United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UAE. AMERICAN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN SHARJAH
the Sharia Court of First Instance in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates...
- OCTOBER 21, 2007YemenDEATH PENALTY
YEMEN TO EXTRADITE SPANIARD SENTENCED TO DEATH
YEMEN TO EXTRADITE SPANIARD SENTENCED TO DEATH