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 12, 2006PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN. COURT ADMITS APPEALS IN MUSHARRAF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT CASE
the Pakistan Supreme Court admitted for regular hearing the appeals of four junior Air Force officers and a civilian against their death sentences for their involvement in an assassination attempt on President General Pervez Musharraf in 2003.
- APRIL 11, 2006TexasDEATH PENALTY
TEXAS. INMATE ORDERED TO TAKE MEDS SO HE CAN BE EXECUTED
a judge who halted an execution because the inmate was mentally ill has agreed to force the man to take anti-psychotic medication so he can be put to death.
- APRIL 9, 2006PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SERIAL KILLINGS, RAPE
an anti-terrorism court in the central Pakistani town of Bahawalpur sentenced convicted serial killer and rapist Abdul Razzaq to death, the Daily Times newspaper reported.
- APRIL 6, 2006TexasDEATH PENALTY
a Bexar County jury sentenced Ronnie Joe Neal to death after rejecting...
a Bexar County jury sentenced Ronnie Joe Neal to death after rejecting his claim that he suffers mental retardation. The same jury convicted Neal, 35, of capital murder last month.
- APRIL 5, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. WOMAN GIVEN DEATH SENTENCE FOR BURNING DAUGHTER-IN-LAW
a court in Moga, in the Indian state of Punjab, sentenced to death a woman exactly a month after burning her daughter-in-law to death in a fit of rage.
- APRIL 4, 2006IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. 12 ANSAR AL-ISLAM MEMBERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
a court in Iraq's northern Kurdistan region sentenced to death 12 members of militant group Ansar al-Islam for numerous killings and explosions, an Arbil judiciary official said.
- APRIL 4, 2006PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN. FIVE MILITANTS SENTENCED TO DEATH
a Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced five militants from an Al-Qaeda-linked group to death for a 2002 attack on a prison van which killed a policeman and a prisoner.
- APRIL 4, 2006BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING WIFE
a Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh, convicted ‘Bulbul of Jhautali’ and sentenced him to death for killing his wife.
- APRIL 4, 2006JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. COURT FINALIZES DEATH SENTENCE FOR KOBE MAN
the death sentence handed down by the Kobe District Court in Japan to 66-year-old Muneteru Yamamoto for killing and robbing his cousin and his cousin's wife in July 2004 was finalized.
- APRIL 3, 2006FranceDEATH PENALTY
UNITED STATES. MOUSSAOUI MAY BE EXECUTED FOR 9/11 CRIMES
a US jury found Zacarias Moussaoui eligible for the death penalty, and the convicted Sept. 11 conspirator shouted as he was led out of the court: "You'll never get my blood. God curse you all."
- MARCH 31, 2006NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR STEALING BICYCLE
a 35-year-old man, Umaru Auta, was sentenced to death by hanging for stealing a bicycle. Auta had been arrested by the police in 1999 in a village near Toro, in Nigeria’s Bauchi State, and arraigned on a three-count charge of robbery, assault and unlawful
- MARCH 31, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. MAN GETS DEATH FOR RAPING, KILLING 3-YR-OLD DAUGHTER
a New Delhi court sentenced to death 26-year-old Sheikh Noor Hussain for raping and killing his three-year-old daughter. Additional sessions judge S.K. Kaushik awarded capital punishment to Hussain for murder and also read out a life sentence, the maximum
- MARCH 30, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. FORMER SOLDIER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
Sita Raman, a 32 year old former soldier, was sentenced to death for murdering his friend by stabbing him twice in the neck at Nilai, near Bernama, Malaysia.
- MARCH 30, 2006BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH. THREE SENTENCED TO DEATH BY A COURT IN DHAKA FOR MURDER
three people were sentenced to death in Dhaka, Bangladesh, for raping and murdering a woman. The court also fined the three convicts - Nazrul Islam, 29, Mozibor Rahman, 23 and Habibur Rahman (absconding) - Tk 10,000 each.
- MARCH 28, 2006ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. LEADER OF ORGANIZED CRIME RING SENTENCED TO DEATH
Zhao Chun, leader of an organized crime ring in the suburban county of Shenyang, capital of Northeast China's Liaoning Province, was sentenced to death for crimes including murder.
- MARCH 28, 2006JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. TOKYO HIGH COURT REJECTS ASAHARA'S APPEAL OF DEATH SENTENCE
the Tokyo High Court rejected former doomsday cult leader Shoko Asahara's appeal of his death sentence, bringing him a step closer to hanging for a nerve gas attack on Tokyo and other assaults that killed 27 and injured thousands
- MARCH 27, 2006KyrgyzstanDEATH PENALTY
KYRGYZSTAN. DEATH ROW INMATES PETITION PRESIDENT
over 20 Kyrgyz prisoners sentenced to death have appealed to President Kurmanbek Bakiyev requesting their convictions be re-examined in a letter published by the local media.
- MARCH 27, 2006MoroccoDEATH PENALTY
MOROCCO. THIRTY DEATH ROW PRISONERS GO ON "OPEN-ENDED HUNGER STRIKE"
thirty detainees sentenced to death in the central prison in Kenitra, Morocco...
- MARCH 22, 2006JordanDEATH PENALTY
JORDAN. NINE MILITANTS SENTENCED TO DEATH
Jordan sentenced to death nine Islamist militants for their part in 2002 riots in the southern city of Maan in which seven people were killed.
- MARCH 21, 2006Trinidad & TobagoDEATH PENALTY
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO. POLICEMAN SENTENCED TO HANG FOR MURDER
Constable Dave Burnett, a Trinidad and Tobago police officer with 13 years experience, was sentenced to hang after being found guilty of the murder.
- MARCH 21, 2006BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH, 11 OTHERS TO LIFE, FOR MURDER OF JOURNALIST
the Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal in Chittagong, Bangladesh, sentenced M. Siraj a man to death and 11 others to life imprisonment for the murder of journalist Kamal Hossain.
- MARCH 21, 2006ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR FORCIBLY TATTOOING WOMEN
a man in northeast China was sentenced to death for forcibly tattooing hundreds of Chinese characters on the bodies of three women.
- MARCH 20, 2006Congo - KinshasaDEATH PENALTY
DRC. MILITARY COURT CONVICTS TWO OFFICERS OVER KILLINGS
the military court of the Kalemie garrison in Katanga, south DRC, sentenced Capt. Yalala Musubao to death for voluntarily killing eight Mayi Mayi officers of the 8th Brigade.
- MARCH 20, 2006ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. BABY SELLERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
two men were sentenced to death by a court in China’s Yunnan Province for stealing and trafficking 12 baby boys across three provinces.
- MARCH 20, 2006BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
Imran Ali was condemned to death by a court in Thakurgaon, Bangladesh, for killing a man in 2004.
- MARCH 20, 2006ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. DEATH SENTENCE FOR ROBBERY AND MURDER
Jin Xiaoguo was sentenced to death for robbery and murder, while his accomplice was given 15 years in prison, the Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate Prosecutors' Office said.
- MARCH 19, 2006BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH. EIGHT PEOPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
an Additional District and Sessions Court in Bangladesh sentenced eight people to death for killing an NGO official.
- MARCH 18, 2006ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER MURDER OF JAPANESE CITIZEN
Chinese national Han Enze was sentenced to death and two others received prison terms in China over the murder and robbery of a Japanese nightclub manager in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward in 2001.
- MARCH 17, 2006BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING HIS WIFE
Sultan Miah, 35, was sentenced to death by a special tribunal in Netrokona, Bangladesh, for killing his wife for dowry in the country’s Mohonganj district.
- MARCH 16, 2006SyriaDEATH PENALTY
SYRIA. DISSIDENT LABWANI COULD BE SENTENCED TO DEATH, LAWYER
the Syrian dissident and founder of the Liberal Unionist Party Dr Kamal Al Labwani may be sentenced to hard labour or even death if the court accepts the accusations against him, said his lawyer Anwar Al Bana.