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 30, 2005ItalyDEATH PENALTY
1,000TH EXECUTION IN THE U.S. AND CITIES AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY, D’ELIA: LETS NOT FORGET THE SLAUGHTER IN CHINA AND THOSE CONDEMNED TO DEATH IN IRAN, VIETNAM AND NORTH KOREA
Hands Off Cain adhered to the demonstration in Rome on November 30 in front of the United States embassy to mark the 1,000th US execution since the Supreme Court reintroduced the death penalty in 1976.
- NOVEMBER 30, 2005ItalyDEATH PENALTY
AFGHANISTAN. CUTULI CASE, ITALIAN EMBASSY AWAITS CONFIRMATION OF DEATH SENTENCES
it was reported that the Italian embassy in Kabul may ask for the commutation into life imprisonment of the death sentences handed down to brothers Zar Jan and Abdul Wahid for the murders of Maria Grazia Catulli and three other journalists in November 200
- NOVEMBER 29, 2005ZambiaDEATH PENALTY
ZAMBIA. PRESIDENT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCES OF 12 CONVICTS
Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa commuted death sentences handed down on 12 criminals convicted for violent crimes including murder, commissioner of prisons Jethro Mumbuwa announced.
- NOVEMBER 29, 2005ArizonaDEATH PENALTY
in Phoenix, a man identified by DNA evidence four years ago in an unsolved 1987...
in Phoenix, a man identified by DNA evidence four years ago in an unsolved 1987 rape and murder was sentenced to death.
- NOVEMBER 29, 2005PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN. FIVE TRIBAL MILITANTS SENTENCED TO DEATH
a Pakistani court sentenced five tribal militants to death for killing six people in an attack in southwestern Pakistan.
- NOVEMBER 29, 2005BelarusDEATH PENALTY
Viktor I. Tikhikh, was sentenced to death, in Belarus.
Viktor I. Tikhikh, was sentenced to death, in Belarus.
- NOVEMBER 28, 2005BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH. NINE SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER DHAKA MURDERS
a court in Bangladesh sentenced nine people to death for the grisly murders of a businessman and his son. In March 2005, the mutilated bodies of Shamsul Alam, a clothes merchant, and his son, Russel, were found in a forest near the capital, Dhaka. Only on
- NOVEMBER 25, 2005MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. CASHIER TO HANG FOR MURDER
V. Alaggandiran, a 26 year old former cashier of a video game arcade, was sentenced to the gallows by the High Court in Shah Alam, Malaysia, after being found guilty of murdering a factory worker because the latter was in love with his cousin.
- NOVEMBER 24, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. CHILD TRAFFICKING RING CRACKED, MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH
a Chinese court sentenced one person to death and jailed nine people for running a child-trafficking ring in the prosperous southern province of Guangdong.
- NOVEMBER 23, 2005South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. SOLDIER SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER SHOOTING
a South Korean army court martial sentenced Private First Class Kim Dong-min to death for killing eight soldiers while on guard duty on the border with North Korea, an army spokesman said.
- NOVEMBER 23, 2005TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN. TWO MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR CANNIBALISM
the Taiwan High Court in Taichung sentenced to death Chen Chin-huo and Kuang Teh-chiang for raping, murdering, and cannibalizing a female insurance agent.
- NOVEMBER 23, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. COURT AWARDS DEATH PENALTY TO LABOURER FOR MURDERING OLD COUPLE
a Sessions Court in Goa, India, sentenced to death Sarvanand Gaoncar after finding him guilty of murdering an elderly couple.
- NOVEMBER 18, 2005ArizonaDEATH PENALTY
Cody James Martinez, 23, was sentenced to death.
Cody James Martinez, 23, was sentenced to death.
- NOVEMBER 18, 2005Congo - KinshasaDEATH PENALTY
DRC. TWO SOLDIERS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF PRIEST
two soldiers from the Democratic Republic of Congo were sentenced to death in Kinshasa by a military tribunal for the murder of a Belgian Jesuit priest.
- NOVEMBER 17, 2005TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
LAOS. TWO TAIWANESE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
a Lao court sentenced to death two Taiwanese men for drug trafficking.
- NOVEMBER 16, 2005SudanDEATH PENALTY
SUDAN. TWO TROOPS TO HANG FOR DARFUR MURDER
it was reported that two Sudanese soldiers were sentenced to death by a special court set up to try crimes in the country's western strife-torn Darfur region for murdering a civilian there.
- NOVEMBER 16, 2005ArkansasDEATH PENALTY
a Fort Smith jury sentenced Thomas Leo Springs, 43...
a Fort Smith jury sentenced Thomas Leo Springs, 43...
- NOVEMBER 15, 2005PennsylvaniaDEATH PENALTY
more than 16 years after a Pennsylvania jury returned three death sentences against Harold Wilson...
more than 16 years after a Pennsylvania jury returned three death sentences against Harold Wilson...
- NOVEMBER 14, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MAN HANGED FOR RUNNING PORN RING
a man was publicly hanged in the town of Qazvin, west of the Iranian capital Tehran.
- NOVEMBER 13, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. WOMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING
Iran’s State Supreme Court upheld a death sentence against a woman who had been accused of murdering her abusive husband, the state-run Fars news agency reported.
- NOVEMBER 11, 2005IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA. CONVICTED INDONESIAN TERRORIST SEEKS REVIEW OF CASE
convicted Indonesian terrorist Ali Ghufron, sentenced to die for the 2002 bombing attacks on the resort island of Bali, decided to seek a judicial review of his case, his lawyer said.
- NOVEMBER 11, 2005LibyaDEATH PENALTY
LIBYA. LIBYA SAYS BULGARIAN NURSES ROW IS NOT POLITICAL
Libya said the row over the Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death for infecting children with the HIV virus was an issue that must be settled legally rather than politically.
- NOVEMBER 10, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. DEATH PENALTY FOR MILITANT
tribal militant Ashok Debbarma alias Achak was sentenced to death by the West Tripura Additional District and Sessions Court, India, for killing 15 Bengalis in Tripura in 1997.
- NOVEMBER 9, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. MAN SUES AFTER TORTURE, FALSE IMPRISONMENT
a Chinese man who was tortured into a false confession, jailed for nearly two years and wrongly sentenced to death was suing two local law courts for compensation.
- NOVEMBER 8, 2005JordanDEATH PENALTY
JORDAN. MAN EXECUTED FOR MURDER
according to “Jordan Times”, Zuhair Khatib, a man convicted of murdering two people, was executed at dawn at Swaqa correctional and rehabilitation center. Khatib, 27, reportedly asked the execution committee minutes before being hanged to inform his sibli
- NOVEMBER 6, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. TWO PEOPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR ‘ILLEGAL SEXUAL RELATIONS’
a young married woman and her lover were sentenced to death by a Tehran judge for having ‘illegal sexual relations’, the daily ‘Etemad’ reported.
- NOVEMBER 3, 2005Puerto RicoDEATH PENALTY
PUERTO RICO. COURT BARS EXTRADITION OF MAN FACING DEATH PENALTY TO PENNSYLVANIA
an Appeal Court of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico recently held that it would be unconstitutional to extradite Juan Melendez Cruz to Pennsylvania if he faces a possible death sentence, Death Penalty Information Centre reported.
- NOVEMBER 2, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
a 52-year-old Iranian was sentenced to death
a 52-year-old Iranian was sentenced to death
- NOVEMBER 1, 2005ZambiaDEATH PENALTY
ZAMBIA. SUPREME COURT IMPOSES DEATH SENTENCE ON POLICE OFFICER
Patson Mwale, a police officer who killed a suspect in Lusaka, Zambia, was condemned to death by the Supreme Court following his appeal against the Lusaka High Court verdict in which he was sentenced to a 20-year jail term.
- NOVEMBER 1, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. NGUYEN VAN THO SENTENCED TO DEATH
a court in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, handed down a death sentence to Nguyen Van Tho, alias Captain Tho for his involvement in killing a policeman named Phan Le Son and another man named Ho Phuoc Hung.