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
- MAY 25, 2005IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ. FORMER ARMY CAPTAIN CONDEMNED TO DEATH
Tahassin Ali Mutar Janabi, an Iraqi army captain who served under ousted dictator Saddam Hussein, was sentenced to death.
- MAY 23, 2005IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA. BUSINESSMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING ASSOCIATES
the Lamongan district court in East Java, Indonesia, sentenced Nur Hasan to death for killing his three business associates.
- MAY 23, 2005JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. RETRIAL SOUGHT IN CASE OF PRISONER EXECUTED IN 1947 MURDER CASE
the family of Takeo Nishi, a man executed in 1975 over a murder in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture asked the Fukuoka High Court for a retrial of the case, saying he had been tortured into confessing, lawyers for the family said.
- MAY 23, 2005MexicoDEATH PENALTY
USA. SUPREME COURT DISMISSES WORLD COURT DEATH ROW TEST CASE
the US Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by Jose Medellin, a Mexican man facing execution in Texas, in a closely watched test-case on whether World Court rulings on capital cases apply to US courts.
- MAY 21, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. SWAMI SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING WIFE
Swami Shraddhananda was sentenced to death by a court in Bangalore, India, for murdering his wife Shakereh by burying her alive.
- MAY 20, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. CHINESE MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING FUKUOKA FAMILY
the Fukuoka District Court sentenced Wei Wei, a Chinese man, to death for his part in the murder in 2003 of a family of four in Fukuoka.
- MAY 20, 2005PakistanDEATH PENALTY
an Anti Terrorism Court in Karachi, Pakistan, convicted four kidnappers and sentenced them to death.
an Anti Terrorism Court in Karachi, Pakistan, convicted four kidnappers and sentenced them to death.
- MAY 19, 2005ThailandDEATH PENALTY
THAILAND. TWO DRUG SUSPECTS SENTENCED TO DEATH, THREE OTHERS HAVE SENTENCE COMMUTED
the Thai Appeals Court sentenced two drug suspects, earlier acquitted by the Criminal Court, to death and withheld the death sentence on another three suspects.
- MAY 18, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
a man, identified as Hossein Gholi, was sentenced to death in Tehran
a man, identified as Hossein Gholi, was sentenced to death in Tehran
- MAY 17, 2005BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
a court in Manikganj, Bangladesh, sentenced Kitab Ali to death for murder.
- MAY 17, 2005PhilippinesDEATH PENALTY
THE PHILIPPINES. 2 VALENZUELA POLICEMEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING FELLOW OFFICER
two Valenzuela City policemen were sentenced to die by lethal injection in the Philippines after a Manila City court found them guilty of killing a fellow officer inside a police community precinct in 1996.
- MAY 17, 2005UgandaDEATH PENALTY
UGANDA. COUNTRY GETS TOUGH WITH GOAT THIEVES
it was reported that 25-year-old David Katushabe, from Uganda's Nakasongola district, had been sentenced to death for stealing a goat.
- MAY 17, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. GUANGXI COURT SENTENCES SIX PEOPLE TO DEATH FOR HEROIN TRAFFICKING
the Beihai Court in China’s Guangxi province, sentenced Wu Zhangguang and Huang Chongming to death, sentenced four others to death with two years reprieve and a further four to life imprisonment.
- MAY 16, 2005JordanDEATH PENALTY
JORDAN. 27-YEAR-OLD SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR THREE MURDERS
according to the "Jordan Times", the Criminal Court sentenced a 27-year-old man to death after convicting him of murdering three of his friends over a 10-year period.
- MAY 16, 2005NebraskaDEATH PENALTY
A 3-judge panel unanimously agreed to the death penalty Jeffrey Hessler, 26.
A 3-judge panel unanimously agreed to the death penalty Jeffrey Hessler, 26.
- MAY 15, 2005BulgariaDEATH PENALTY
BULGARIA. PRESIDENT SAYS TO VISIT LIBYA OVER NURSES
Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov said he planned to visit Libya to discuss the case of five Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death over the infection of hundreds of Libyan children with HIV.
- MAY 13, 2005SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE. MAN EXECUTED FOR TRAFFICKING MARIJUANA DESPITE HIGH-PROFILE CAMPAIGN
Shanmugam Murugesu, a man convicted of drug trafficking at the centre of a high-profile campaign to end the death penalty in Singapore, was executed despite the appeals of his teenage twin sons and his lawyer's pleas that it was a denial of "natural justi
- MAY 13, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. POLITICIAN SENTENCED TO DEATH
Hou Jianjun, a Chinese provincial legislator, was sentenced to death after he murdered a pedestrian in a drunken rage by running him down with his sports utility vehicle.
- MAY 11, 2005BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
a special court in Panchagarh, Bangladesh, sentenced to death Md Motaleb Hossain of Dimla
a special court in Panchagarh, Bangladesh, sentenced to death Md Motaleb Hossain of Dimla
- MAY 9, 2005BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH. MAN SENT TO GALLOWS FOR KILLING HIS WIFE
Shafiqul Islam Sony of Horidaspur village in Sadar, Bangladesh, was sentenced to death in absentia
- MAY 9, 2005SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE. LAWYER TO CALL ON UN TO HELP SAVE DEATH ROW INMATE
lawyer M. Ravi said he would appeal to the United Nations in a last-ditch attempt to save his client Shanmugam Murugesu from being executed in Singapore for drug smuggling.
- MAY 7, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. FOUR SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR HEROIN TRAFFICKING
three convicted drug traffickers were sentenced to death in southwestern China's Sichuan province, while two accomplices were given long prison terms, the Chengdu Commercial Daily said.
- MAY 7, 2005IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR UNION LEADER MURDER
the Jharkhand High Court, India, sentenced Shiv Shankar Singh and Umesh Singh to death in connection with the murder of trade union leader Gurudas Chatterjee on April 14, 2000.
- MAY 7, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
Abdolrabi, 41, was sentenced to death in Iran
Abdolrabi, 41, was sentenced to death in Iran
- MAY 3, 2005UgandaDEATH PENALTY
UGANDA. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR AGGRAVATED ROBBERY
the Ugandan High Court sentenced David Katushabe, from Nakasongola, to death for wounding his neighbour while stealing a goat.
- MAY 2, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MAN HANGED IN PRISON
a man accused of murdering a taxi driver was hanged in Karoon Prison in the southern Iranian city of Ahwaz, according to the state-run news agency.
- MAY 2, 2005BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH. ONE SENTENCED TO DEATH, THREE FAMILY MEMBERS TO LIFE FOR MURDER
Saiful Alam was sentenced to death in absentia, while his parents and brother were sentenced to life imprisonment by the District and Sessions court in Sylhet, Bangladesh, in a double murder case.
- APRIL 30, 2005YemenDEATH PENALTY
YEMEN. MOTHER, 21, FACES FIRING SQUAD
European leaders are making desperate pleas to spare the life of a 21-year-old mother who is expected to face a firing squad in Yemen on May 2.
- APRIL 29, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. BUSINESSMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH ON HEROIN CHARGES
former director of the Trans-Continent Company, Phan Trieu Phu, was sentenced to death in Vietnam on charges of "trafficking illegal drugs".
- APRIL 29, 2005United States Armed ForcesDEATH PENALTY
UNITED STATES. AKBAR SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING COMRADES
a US military jury sentenced Army Sgt. Hasan Akbar to death for killing two officers in a grenade and rifle attack on his comrades in Kuwait two years ago