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
AUGUST 16, 2022CaliforniaDEATH PENALTYUSA - California. Death sentences lowered for James N. Blair and Anderson Hawthorne
To life without parole, at DA’s request
AUGUST 10, 2022IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 4 inmates executed in Arak on August 10, 2022
One of the inmates identified as Mehdi Noor-Karami
AUGUST 6, 2022IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Ali Ghareh Lar and Mojtaba Ramin executed in Qom
On August 1 and 6
AUGUST 4, 2022BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: SIX MEMBERS OF 'RAZAKAR BAHINI' SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY DURING THE 1971 LIBERATION WAR
Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal on 28 July 2022 sentenced six members of the paramilitary force 'Razakar Bahini' to death for collaborating with the Pakistani Army for "crimes against humanity" during the 1971 Liberation War.
AUGUST 3, 2022IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: DRIVER WHO KILLED BUSINESSMAN, 6 OF HIS FAMILY IN GHAZIABAD GETS DEATH SENTENCE
Describing the nature of the crime as "rarest of rare", a Ghaziabad court on 1st August 2022 handed the death sentence to a 30-year-old man for stabbing to death his former employer and six members of his family in 2013, reports Shafaque Alam.
AUGUST 2, 2022IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH BY GUJARAT COURT FOR RAPE, MURDER OF MINOR GIRL
A 31-year-old man was sentenced to death by a special court in Gujarat on 26 July 2022 for kidnapping, raping and murdering a minor girl, a verdict coming less than four months after the offence was committed.
AUGUST 1, 2022NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: COURT SENTENCES 4 TO DEATH OVER MURDER OF EKITI CHIEF
An Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, has sentenced four men to death by hanging over the murder of a traditional chief, Punch reported on 26 July 2022.
- JULY 31, 2022VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: FIVE MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SMUGGLING DRUGS FROM HCMC TO PHILIPPINES
Five men were all sentenced to death on 27 July 2022 in HCMC (Vietnam) for transporting almost 300 kg of methamphetamine to the Philippines in 2019.
JULY 29, 2022IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Saeed Shah Bakhsh and Ziaullah Brahui executed in Damghan on July 27
JULY 28, 2022NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: 3 SENTENCED TO DEATH IN NIGER STATE FOR CULPABLE HOMICIDE
A Minna High Court in Niger State has sentenced three men, Mohammed Ibrahim Soja, Sani Idris Boka and Babangida Gido, to death by hanging after they were found guilty of a 10-count charge bordering on culpable homicide, the Daily Trust reported on 25 July
JULY 28, 2022AlabamaDEATH PENALTYUSA - Alabama. Joe Nathan James, 50, Black, was executed
8th inmate to be put to death this year in the USA
- JULY 28, 2022FloridaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Florida. Bill Roberts, 60, White, sentenced to death
JULY 28, 2022MassachusettsDEATH PENALTYUSA - Massachusetts. Formally Exonerates Last ‘Witch’, Elizabeth Johnson
Sentenced to death in 1693
JULY 27, 2022IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Soheila Abedi executed in Sanandaj on July 27
139th woman since 2013
JULY 27, 2022KuwaitDEATH PENALTYKUWAIT: INDIAN SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING FOR SMUGGLING DRUGS
The Criminal Court of Kuwait City sentenced an Indian expat to death by hanging for smuggling in narcotic substances with a market value of about 11,000 dinars with the intent of trafficking, Arab Times reported on 24 July 2022.
JULY 27, 2022Trinidad & TobagoDEATH PENALTYTRINIDAD: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF 9-MONTH-OLD STEPSON
A Trinidad man has been found guilty of murder and his former common-law wife guilty of manslaughter over the death of his nine-month-old stepson, who was beaten to death in 2008, The Guardian (TT) reported on July 26, 2022.
JULY 25, 2022SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCES SOLDIER TO DEATH
Somalia’s Military court on 20 July 2022 sentenced a Military Soldier accused of murdering a civilian to death, SONNA reported.
JULY 23, 2022IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 4 men executed in Zabol on July 23
Farhad Kouhkan, Davoud Amirzadeh, Hamid Jahangard and Habib Totazehi
JULY 21, 2022United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTYUAE: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR VIOLENT KILLING OF EMPLOYER
The Ajman Criminal Court sentenced a 30-year-old Asian national to death after he was convicted of murdering his employer, Khaleej Times reported on 6 July 2022.
JULY 21, 2022PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: MAN AWARDED DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING EX-WIFE, HER FATHER
A sessions court in Faisalabad awarded death sentence on two counts, life imprisonment to a man for killing his ex-wife and her father in the limits of Madina Town police station.
JULY 20, 2022VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING 5-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER BY THROWING HER INTO RIVER
A man who killed his five-year-old daughter by throwing her into the river earlier this year was sentenced to death by the People’s Court in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam on 18 July 2022.
JULY 20, 2022ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: 3 MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF NANJING STUDENT
Three men on 7 July 2022 were sentenced to death for the murder of Li Mouyue in Menghai county, Yunnan province.
JULY 19, 2022BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHREIN: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A Bahraini was sentenced to death by the High Criminal Court on 19 July 2022 for drug trafficking across regional waters.
JULY 19, 2022LouisianaDEATH PENALTYUSA - Louisiana. A jury has sentenced Kevin Daigle to death
JULY 18, 2022BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: THREE TO DIE FOR RAPING DAUGHTER BEFORE MOTHER IN FENI
A court in Feni on 14 July 2022 sentenced three people to death for raping a daughter in front of her mother at Sonagazi back in 2003.
JULY 14, 2022GambiaDEATH PENALTYGAMBIA: FIVE EX-JAMMEH SPIES SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING ACTIVIST
A Gambian court on 13 July 2022 sentenced former intelligence chief Yankuba Badji and four other members of the intelligence service to death for the killing of a political activist Ebrima Solo Sandeng during the rule of former strongman Yahya Jammeh.
JULY 13, 2022IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Mohsen Safari and Amirhossein Abadi executed in Isfahan
On June 20 and July 13
JULY 12, 2022PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: LAHORE COURT SENTENCES CHRISTIAN MAN TO DEATH OVER BLASPHEMY CHARGES
A court in Lahore on 4 July 2022 sentenced Ashfaq Masih to death by hanging.
JULY 11, 2022United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTYUAE: ISRAELI WOMAN SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT AFTER DEATH SENTENCE STRUCK DOWN
An Israeli woman was sentenced to life in prison in Dubai, her defense team announced on 7 July 2022, after her death penalty for possession of an illegal substance was overturned by an appeals court last week.
JULY 9, 2022IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Keyvan Emamverdi sentenced to death