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
OCTOBER 22, 2023BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR THE MURDER OF HIS THREE-YEAR-OLD SON
The Minsk regional Court in Belarus on October 19, 2023 reportedly sentenced to death Alexander Taratuta, 48, for the murder of his three-year-old son Semyon
OCTOBER 22, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Davoud Heidari executed in Karaj on October 22
OCTOBER 19, 2023BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING WIFE
A court in Chuadanga on October 5, 2023 sentenced a man to death on the charge of killing his wife in Alamdanga upazila of the district.
OCTOBER 19, 2023IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 3 MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING THREE CHILDREN IN UP
A court in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh on October 18, 2023 sentenced three persons to death for killing three children, aged between seven and nine, more than four years ago.
- OCTOBER 18, 2023IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Khodabakhsh … executed in Zahedan on October 18
OCTOBER 17, 2023BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: 2 GET DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING THEIR WIVES
Courts in Shariatpur and Natore handed death penalties to two men on October 10, 2023 for killing their wives back in 2021 and 2013, respectively.
OCTOBER 17, 2023MoroccoDEATH PENALTYMOROCCO SENTENCES SUSPECT INVOLVED IN MURDER OF POLICEMAN TO DEATH PENALTY
The Court of First Instance in charge of terrorism cases at the Court of Appeals in Rabat on October 13, 2023 sentenced a man to the death penalty for his involvement in the murder of a policeman.
OCTOBER 16, 2023Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: THREE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR 1992 MURDER IN KALUTARA
Kalutara High Court Judge Pradeep Abeyratne on October 10, 2023 convicted three accused for beating a person with clubs 31 years ago and sentenced them to death.
OCTOBER 16, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Death sentence for political prisoner Naeb Askari
OCTOBER 12, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Reza Rasaei is sentenced to death
Activist participant in the nationwide protests of 2022
OCTOBER 11, 2023IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN GETS DEATH FOR RAPING MINOR DAUGHTER FOR 4 YEARS
The Special Court of the Additional Sessions Judge (Fast Track), Prashant Rana, awarded on October 7, 2023 death penalty in Haryana State to a 42-year-old man for raping his minor daughter for four years and impregnating her.
OCTOBER 11, 2023PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: 4 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING BANK GUARDS IN NAROWAL
Pronouncing verdict in the case of killings of two security guards of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) in Narowal, Additional District and Sessions Judge Tariq Anjum on October 10, 2023 ordered that four convicts in the case be twice hanged to death.
OCTOBER 11, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Abbas Ali Maghami and Mehdi Shadab executed in Tabriz on October 11
OCTOBER 11, 2023Congo - KinshasaDEATH PENALTYDRC: LAWMAKER GETS DEATH SENTENCE OVER TREASON CHARGES
A Congolese military court sentenced a lawmaker to death on October 10, 2023 for treason and involvement with the M23 rebel movement, a verdict his lawyer denounced as based on "ethnic hatred."
OCTOBER 10, 2023TexasDEATH PENALTYUSA - Texas. Jedidiah Murphy, 48, White, was executed on Oct. 10
OCTOBER 9, 2023NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: POLICE OFFICER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SHOOTING LAWYER DEAD
A Nigerian court on October 9, 2023 sentenced to death a police officer convicted of shooting dead a pregnant female lawyer on Christmas Day in 2022.
OCTOBER 5, 2023NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: COURT SENTENCES TWO BROTHERS TO DEATH FOR MURDER IN AKWA IBOM
Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Essien Udim has sentenced two brothers to death for killing a farmer over a parcel of land, Daily Post reported on October 4, 2023.
OCTOBER 5, 2023YemenDEATH PENALTYYEMEN: FOUR SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER KIDNAPPING OF MSF AID WORKERS
A court in Yemen’s southeastern province of Hadramout on October 3, 2023 sentenced four Yemenis to death for kidnapping international humanitarian workers last year.
OCTOBER 4, 2023Congo - KinshasaDEATH PENALTYDR CONGO: ARMY OFFICER RECEIVES DEATH SENTENCE OVER PROTEST KILLINGS
A military court sentenced a DR Congo army officer to death and handed 10-year prison terms to three others on October 2, 2023 over the August killing of more than 50 protesters in the eastern city of Goma.
- OCTOBER 4, 2023IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: TWO GET DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPING, KILLING MINOR GIRL IN 2019
A special POCSO court in Tripura on October 3, 2023 convicted two persons and sentenced them to death for raping and murdering a minor girl four years ago.
OCTOBER 3, 2023BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: 3 SENTENCED TO DEATH IN RAJBARI SCHOOL STUDENT MURDER
A court in Rajbari on September 27, 2023 sentenced three people to death in the murder case of fourth-grade student Rifad, 12, after abduction in the district.
- OCTOBER 2, 2023IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Yasin Huseynzade sentenced to death
Assailant of Azerbaijan's embassy in Iran
OCTOBER 2, 2023VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: 4 GET DEATH IN HCMC FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Four people were sentenced to death in HCMC on September 28, 2023 for transporting 12 kg of drugs from Cambodia to Vietnam for sale.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2023TaiwanDEATH PENALTYTAIWAN: MAN IN TIRE SHOP ARSON CASE SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HSINCHU COURT
The Hsinchu District Court on September 28, 2023 handed the death sentence to a man found guilty of arson that resulted in the death of eight family members in June last year.
SEPTEMBER 28, 2023Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: 13 PERSONS SENTENCED TO DEATH ON THE SAME DAY
13 persons were sentenced to death in two separate cases on September 27, 2013 in Sri Lanka.
- SEPTEMBER 27, 2023IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MAN GIVEN DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDERING TWO WOMEN
A Chittoor court, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, on August 22, 2023 awarded death penalty to a middle-aged man identified as Syed Moulali on charges of killing his live-in partner and her 65-year-old mother.
SEPTEMBER 26, 2023BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: TWO GET DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING WOMAN AFTER RAPE
A court in Faridpur on September 25, 2023 sentenced two people to death on the charge of killing a woman after rape at Sadar upazila in 2017.
SEPTEMBER 26, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 4 sentenced to death over bootleg alcohol that killed 17
- SEPTEMBER 25, 2023PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPING TEENAGE DAUGHTER
A district and sessions court in Lahore convicted on September 22, 2023 a man for raping his teenage daughter and sentenced him to death.
SEPTEMBER 25, 2023BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING CHILD AFTER RAPE
A court in Narayanganj on September 25, 2023 sentenced a man to death on the charge of killing a child after rape at Araihazar upazila in 2021.