Death sentences
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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
MARCH 3, 2022Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: COMMUTED DEATH SENTENCE FOR MAN CONVICTED AS MINOR REINSTATED
A Saudi man sentenced to death for crimes reportedly committed when he was a minor, only to see the judgement overturned last year, had his death sentence reinstated on 2 March 2022, according to his family.
MARCH 3, 2022FloridaDEATH PENALTYUSA - Florida. Roderick Orme sentenced to death
MARCH 2, 2022IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN FROM PUNE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KIDNAPPING, RAPING AND KILLING TWO-YEAR-OLD
The Pune court on 28 February 2022 pronounced the death penalty to a 38-year-old man in a case related to sexual assault and murder of a two-and-a-half-year-old girl.
- MARCH 1, 2022MaldivesDEATH PENALTY
MALDIVES: BANGLADESHI NATIONAL SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING BUSINESSMAN
Criminal Court on 27 February 2022 ordered the death sentence on Shah Alom Mia (Salim) over the death of Mahmood Abubakuru, a businessman from Dhangethi of Alif Dhaal atoll.
MARCH 1, 2022BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH, SIX OTHERS TO LIFE FOR KILLING ZILLUR BHANDARI IN CHATTOGRAM
A Chattogram court on 14 February 2022 sentenced two people to death and six others to life in prison for the murder of Zillur Bhandari.
- FEBRUARY 27, 2022PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: PAKISTANI-AMERICAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR BEHEADING GIRLFRIEND
A Pakistan court sentenced the scion of a wealthy industrialist family to death on 24 February 2022, for raping and beheading his girlfriend in a murder that sparked an outcry over the brutalising of women in the deeply patriarchal nation.
- FEBRUARY 27, 2022IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Jasem Ghanbari executed in Jiroft on February 27
- FEBRUARY 24, 2022IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - On February 24, Ali Rezaei, 18, sentenced to death, committed suicide
In Lakan Prison, in Rasht
FEBRUARY 24, 2022YemenDEATH PENALTYYEMEN: THREE PEOPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HOUTHI TRIBUNAL
The Specialized Criminal Court in Sanaa, which is controlled by the Houthis, on 22 February 2022 sentenced to death three people, including a school principal, on charges of colluding with the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen and the Yemeni govern
- FEBRUARY 23, 2022United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Poll Finds Bipartisan Opposition to Use of the Death Penalty as It is Actually Administered
FEBRUARY 23, 2022PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN BLASPHEMY CASE
A Pakistani man from the minority Shia community has been sentenced to death by a court in Punjab province for defaming Islam, officials said on 23 February 2022.
FEBRUARY 22, 2022KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: MAN CONVICTED TO DEATH FOR ROBBING CHINESE BOSS SH30,000
A Kibera court on 22 February 2022 convicted a man to death for attacking his Chinese boss at an apartment in Kilimani and violently stealing his cash and phone.
FEBRUARY 22, 2022EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR TOSSING FRIEND INTO NILE
A man, convicted of murdering his friend by throwing him into the Nile, was handed down a death sentence in Egypt on 17 February 2022.
- FEBRUARY 21, 2022NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: TWO POLICEMEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR ARMED ROBBERY
Justice Peter Kekemeke of an FCT High Court on 17 February 2022 sentenced two dismissed policemen to death for armed robbery.
FEBRUARY 21, 2022BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: 4 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING RMG WORKER IN ASHULIA
A Dhaka court on 16 February 2022 sentenced four people to death in a case filed over for the murder of a garment factory in Ashulia in July 2017.
FEBRUARY 20, 2022IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 38 PEOPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER 2008 BOMBINGS
A court in India on 18 February 2022 sentenced 38 people to death and ordered life in prison for 11 others over a series of bomb blasts in 2008 that killed dozens in the western city of Ahmedabad.
FEBRUARY 19, 2022KuwaitDEATH PENALTYKUWAIT: SISTER KILLER SENTENCED TO DEATH
A Kuwaiti criminal court sentenced a man to death on charges of murdering his sister in a case that had triggered outrage in the country, Gulf News on 17 February reported, citing local media.
FEBRUARY 17, 2022KuwaitDEATH PENALTYKUWAIT: INDIAN MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A Kuwaiti criminal court had sentenced an Indian expatriate to death on charges of dealing in illicit drugs, a local newspaper reported on 16 February 2022.
- FEBRUARY 16, 2022CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. Jury recommended death sentence for Noel Herrera
FEBRUARY 16, 2022United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTYUAE: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SHOOTING DEAD 3 FAMILY MEMBERS
A young man was sentenced to death on 16 February 2022 for killing three of his family members in Al Ain (United Arab Emirates) over a dispute involving family inheritance.
FEBRUARY 15, 2022IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: POLICE OFFICER, INFORMANT SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER DEADLY OPERATION
An Iraqi court sentenced to death on 13 February 2022 a police officer and an informant over a deadly operation in December that left 20 people from the same family dead.
- FEBRUARY 14, 2022NevadaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Nevada. Federal Court Grants New Trial to Mark Rogers
FEBRUARY 14, 2022IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE, MURDER OF FOUR-YEAR-OLD
A POCSO court in Rajasthan has awarded death sentence to a man for raping and killing a four-year-old girl, police officials said in Jaipur on 11 February 2022.
FEBRUARY 14, 2022EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR PRE-WEDDING MURDER
An Egyptian court has sentenced a man to death after convicting him of murdering his bride on the eve of their wedding, Gulf News reported on 11 February 2022, citing local media.
FEBRUARY 14, 2022IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Juvenile offender Mohammadreza Hadadi’s conviction overturned
19 years on death row
FEBRUARY 10, 2022NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: TWO PERSONS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING SEX WORKER
A State High Court, Ontisha, Anambra State, on 9 February 2022 sentenced two men to death for killing a sex worker.
FEBRUARY 10, 2022PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: MAN GETS DEATH FOR RAPE, MURDER OF MINOR BOY
A Lahore sessions court has handed down death penalty to a man for raping and killing a three-old-boy in 2017, The Dawn reported on 4 February 2022.
FEBRUARY 9, 2022NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: NIGER COURT SENTENCES 11 TO DEATH BY HANGING
A Minna High Court has sentenced 11 persons to death by hanging for their involvement in the murder of seven villagers over a land dispute in Lavun Local Government Area of Niger State.
FEBRUARY 8, 2022SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: MALAYSIAN WHO DELIVERED BAG OF HEROIN GIVEN DEATH PENALTY, S'POREAN RECIPIENT GETS LIFE TERM
A Malaysian who rode his motorcycle into Singapore to deliver a bag containing more than 900g of a powdery substance was sentenced to death on 4 February 2022 for drug trafficking.
FEBRUARY 7, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: FOUR SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Three locals and a China national were sentenced to death by the Sibu High Court on 4 February 2022 after they were found guilty of two drug trafficking charges.