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 9, 2022NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: WOMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR THE MURDER OF HER HUSBAND ALONGSIDE FAMILY PASTOR IS RELEASED FROM PRISON
A woman jailed for killing her husband has been released from prison in Benin city, Edo state, after a landmark ruling at the Supreme Court, Standard Gazette reported on 6 May 2022.
- MAY 8, 2022NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF MONARCH IN EKITI
Justice Olukayode Ogundana of the Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti, on 5 May 2022 sentenced a 42-year-old man, Ademola Omoniyi to death by hanging for the murder of a traditional ruler in the state.
MAY 5, 2022ArizonaDEATH PENALTYUSA - Arizona. Gov. Doug Ducey says his pro-life stance applies to abortions, not the death penalty
MAY 4, 2022VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: TWO CHINESE GET DEATH FOR METH PRODUCTION
A court in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum sentenced two Chinese men to death on 16 April 2022 for running an operation producing over 11kg of methamphetamine.
MAY 3, 2022IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 5 SENTENCED TO DEATH, 1 TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR 2015 DOUBLE MURDER
Five people were sentenced to death and one to life imprisonment on 25 April 2022 in the state of Uttar Pradesh, for murdering two persons over a land dispute in Aligarh, in 2015.
MAY 3, 2022MissouriDEATH PENALTYUSA - Missouri. Carman Deck was executed
by lethal injection in Bonne Terre on Maiy 3
MAY 3, 2022IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: BOMBAY HIGH COURT PERMITS 2 CONVICTS ON DEATH ROW TO PURSUE STUDIES WHILE IN PRISON
The Bombay High Court permitted 2 convicts sentenced to death in 2017 for raping and killing a minor girl to pursue their studies through open university while in prison.
- MAY 1, 2022VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: MAN RECEIVES DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING SISTER, STEALING PARENTS’ MONEY
A man from Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region on 12 April 2022 was condemned to death for murdering his elder sister and stealing their parents’ money last year.
APRIL 28, 2022ZambiaDEATH PENALTYZAMBIA: TWO POLICE OFFICERS TO BE HANGED FOR KILLING SUSPECT IN CUSTODY
Zambia High Court has sentenced two police officers to death by hanging for killing a suspect in custody, Zambia Daily Mail reported on 12 April 2022.
APRIL 27, 2022IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: ‘TERRORIST’ SENTENCED TO DEATH IN DHI QAR
The Dhi Qar criminal court on 25 April 2022 issued a death sentence against a ‘terrorist’, a security source reported.
APRIL 27, 2022FloridaDEATH PENALTYUSA - Florida. Timothy Wayne Fletcher sentenced to death
APRIL 26, 2022ThailandDEATH PENALTYTHAILAND: DEATH PENALTY FOR MAN WHO KILLED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT
A Thai man on 20 April 2022 was sentenced to death over the murder of a high school student in Trang province, southern Thailand, in 2018.
APRIL 26, 2022United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Joe Biden grants clemency to 78 people
But no federal death row inmates
APRIL 25, 2022TexasDEATH PENALTYUSA - Texas. Melissa Lucio granted temporary stay of execution
But no clemency
- APRIL 24, 2022ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: AMERICAN MURDER SUSPECT SENTENCED TO DEATH
Shadeed Abdulmateen, an American national, was sentenced to death for intentional homicide by the Intermediate People's Court of Ningbo City in east China's Zhejiang Province on 21 April 2022.
- APRIL 21, 2022United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR ARABIAN RANCHES DOUBLE MURDER
A construction worker who stabbed an Indian couple to death in their bed was handed the death penalty by the Dubai Criminal Court on 20 April 2022.
APRIL 20, 2022PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: SIX SENTENCED TO DEATH IN KILLING OF SRI LANKAN
A Pakistan court on 18 April 2022 sentenced six people to death and nine others to life in prison after convicting them for their roles in last year’s vigilante killing of a Sri Lankan factory manager accused by workers of committing blasphemy.
APRIL 18, 2022FloridaDEATH PENALTYUSA - Florida. Richard Allen Johnson sentenced twice to life in prison
- APRIL 15, 2022AlabamaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Alabama. Warren Hardy sentenced to death
APRIL 14, 2022IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Death in Custody of Protester Mehdi Salehi Ghaleh Shahrokhi
Iran Human Rights Calls for International Fact-Finding Mission
APRIL 13, 2022BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: FOUR SENTENCED TO DEATH IN HUMAYUN AZAD MURDER CASE
A Dhaka court has sentenced four to death in the murder of Humayun Azad, the first known victim of a series of attacks by suspected militants in Bangladesh.
- APRIL 12, 2022United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
ISRAELI ON UAE DEATH ROW WON'T BE EXECUTED, OFFICIAL SAYS
Fida Kiwan, the Israeli woman sentenced to death for drug smuggling in the United Arab Emirates will not be executed but will serve a prison sentence instead, a senior Israeli official said on 5 April 2022.
- APRIL 11, 2022BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: FOUR GET DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDER IN RAJSHAHI
A court in Bangladesh on 10 April 2022 handed down the death penalty to four people for the murder of a sweets shop assistant in Rajshahi's Tanore Upazila last year.
APRIL 11, 2022TexasDEATH PENALTYUSA - Texas. Wave of support for Melissa Lucio
The members of HoC have also signed the appeal
APRIL 7, 2022United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTYUAE: ISRAELI RECEIVES DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG POSSESSION
An Israeli woman was sentenced to death in a court in the United Arab Emirates on 5 April 2022 for possessing half a kilogram of cocaine.
APRIL 6, 2022VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: SOUTH KOREAN GETS DEATH FOR MURDERING FELLOW CITIZEN IN HCMC
A HCMC court sentenced a South Korean man to death on 28 March 2022 for killing a woman while committing a robbery almost three years ago.
APRIL 6, 2022IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: TEACHER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPING 13 STUDENTS
An Indonesian teacher found guilty of raping 13 students at an Islamic boarding school, and who impregnated at least eight of the victims, was sentenced to death on 4 April 2022.
APRIL 6, 2022PennsylvaniaDEATH PENALTYUSA - Pennsylvania. Samuel Randolph exonerated and released
187th person to be exonerated
APRIL 6, 2022IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - At least 50 political prisoners await execution
A report from Javanehha
- APRIL 4, 2022Myanmar (Burma)DEATH PENALTY
MYANMAR: MILITARY TRIBUNAL SENTENCES EIGHT MORE YOUTHS TO DEATH
A Myanmar military tribunal has handed down death sentences to eight more youths accused of attacking junta targets in Yangon, bringing the total number of those facing the death penalty since the coup to over 110.