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
- NOVEMBER 14, 2021Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI COURT OVERTURNS DEATH SENTENCE FOR MAN CONVICTED AS MINOR; RETRIAL TO FOLLOW
A Saudi court overturned a conviction on a death penalty charge for a young man following what rights groups called a "grossly unfair trial" for crimes committed when he was a minor, his family said on 10 November 2021.
- NOVEMBER 14, 2021TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: HIGH COURT COMMUTES MOTHER'S DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDERING CHILDREN TO LIFE IN PRISON
Taiwan High Court on 11 November 2021 issued a ruling resentencing a woman facing the death penalty to life in prison for the murders of her two children, citing the perpetrator's depression and remorse.
NOVEMBER 11, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SUPREME COURT STATES RAPE, MURDER VICTIMS' AGE INSUFFICIENT FOR DEATH PENALTY
Low age of victims in rape-and-murder cases has not been considered as the "only or sufficient factor by this court" for imposing the death penalty, the Supreme Court said on 10 November 2021.
- NOVEMBER 10, 2021EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: COURT ISSUES DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDER COVER-UP
The Cairo Criminal Court sentenced a woman to death on 8 November 2021 for the cover-up of her husband's murder and assisting the killer in the act.
NOVEMBER 10, 2021Palestinian TerritoriesDEATH PENALTYGAZA: HAMAS SENTENCES THREE TO DEATH FOR COLLABORATING WITH ISRAEL, DRUG TRAFFICKING
The Hamas military court in the Gaza Strip sentenced on 8 November 2021 three residents to death, two of them for collaborating with Israeli intelligence and one for drug trafficking.
NOVEMBER 8, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPING, KILLING MINOR IN UP
A district court in Bahraich, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, has sentenced 20-year-old Phoolchand Kanaujia to death after seven months of raping and killing a 12-year-old girl, News Track reported on 7 November 2021.
NOVEMBER 8, 2021PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: GILGIT ATC AWARDS DEATH SENTENCE TO EIGHT MEN FOR NALTAR KILLINGS
The Gilgit-Baltistan anti-terrorism court on 4 November 2021 awarded a death sentence to eight men after convicting them of killing nine people in two Naltar valley sectarian attacks.
- NOVEMBER 7, 2021JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: DEATH ROW INMATES SUE OVER SAME-DAY EXECUTIONS
Two death row inmates in Japan are taking legal action against same-day executions.
- NOVEMBER 7, 2021NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: EKITI MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR ROBBING NEIGHBOUR OF CAR
An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti on 2 November 2021 sentenced a 43-year-old man, Taiwo Afolabi, to death by hanging for robbery.
- NOVEMBER 6, 2021IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Couple sentenced to death for adultery
It is unclear whether it is a homosexual couple
- NOVEMBER 5, 2021IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Kamran Rezaiefar Sentenced to Death
Charged of “association with The People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran (MEK)
- NOVEMBER 5, 2021CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. Steve Woodruff resentenced to death
NOVEMBER 4, 2021KuwaitDEATH PENALTYKUWAIT: WOMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING HUSBAND
Kuwait’s Court of Appeals on 2 November 2021 upgraded the sentence of a woman, who killed her husband last year, from life in prison to the death penalty after she was convicted of premeditated murder, local media reported.
NOVEMBER 4, 2021IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: TWO MILITANTS GET DEATH SENTENCES FOR KILLING TWO JOURNALISTS
Iraq’s Basra Criminal Court sentenced two men to death on 1 and 2 November 2021 for involvement in a death squad that killed multiple Iraqi journalists and activists.
NOVEMBER 3, 2021IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING PROTESTOR
Two men accused of killing an Iraqi protestor during nationwide demonstrations that broke out in late 2019 were handed a death sentence by a court in Basra province, state media reported on 2 November 2021.
NOVEMBER 2, 2021BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING WIFE IN KHULNA
A court in Khulna on 31 October 2021 sentenced a man to death for killing his wife in 2020.
NOVEMBER 2, 2021PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING FOUR SISTERS
A Peshawar court on 30 October 2021 convicted a man and his son for killing four sisters six years ago over a property dispute and sentenced them to death along with the payment of Rs2 million compensation each to the legal heirs of the women.
NOVEMBER 2, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 4 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR 2013 GANDHI MAIDAN BLASTS IN PATNA; JAIL FOR 5 OTHERS
Four of the nine men convicted for the 2013 serial blasts at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan were sentenced to death by a Patna court on 1st November 2021.
OCTOBER 28, 2021PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: COURT AWARDS DEATH SENTENCES TO TWO IN A MINOR RAPE, MURDER CASE
A district and sessions court in Rawalpindi on 26 October 2021 awarded death sentences to two persons for raping and murdering a minor girl.
OCTOBER 28, 2021Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: ALI AL-NIMR RELEASED FROM PRISON AFTER NEARLY A DECADE
A young Saudi man was released from prison on 27 October 2021 after spending nearly a decade behind bars in a case that drew international scrutiny because until recently he’d been facing a possible death sentence for protest-related crimes committed as a
- OCTOBER 27, 2021BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: FIVE GET DEATH IN BUSINESSMAN MURDER CASE
A court in Gopalganj on 26 October 2021 convicted five people and sentenced them to death in a businessman murder case.
OCTOBER 27, 2021MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: TWO MEN SENT TO THE GALLOWS FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A boat operator and a labourer were sentenced to death by the Tawau High Court, Malaysia, on 26 October 2021 for trafficking 327.1gm of methamphetamine which was stored in formula milk boxes two years ago.
OCTOBER 27, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: COUPLE AWARDED FOUR DEATH SENTENCES FOR KILLING FAMILY MEMBERS IN TAMIL NADU
A special court near Chennai on 26 October 2021 convicted and sentenced a couple to four death sentences, double lifer and imposed a fine of Rs six lakh for killing their family members in 2019.
- OCTOBER 27, 2021TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. A jury sentenced William George Davis to death
OCTOBER 26, 2021NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: PASTOR ON DEATH ROW REGAINS FREEDOM AFTER 14 YEARS IN PRISON
The resident pastor of Kirikiri Correctional Centre, Apapa, Lagos, Pastor David, who was sentenced to death has been released.
OCTOBER 26, 2021EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: HISHAM ASHMAWI’S TOP AIDE, 2 OTHERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
An Egyptian court sentenced on 25 October 2021 terrorist Bahaa Kishk, the right-hand man of Hisham Ashmawy who was executed in Egypt last year, and two fugitives to death over terrorism charges.
OCTOBER 25, 2021PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: TWO COPS SENTENCED TO DEATH IN INTEZAR MURDER CASE
An anti-terrorism court in Karachi on 25 October 2021 awarded death sentences to two cops over their role in the murder of a youngster Intezar Ahmed, 19, in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) neighbourhood of the city by an ACLC team.
OCTOBER 25, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPING AND MURDERING 7-YEAR-OLD GIRL
A special POCSO court on 21 October 2021 awarded capital punishment to a man for murdering a 7-year-old girl after raping her in Nagaur district of Rajasthan.
- OCTOBER 23, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: NINE GET DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDER OF 3 MEMBERS OF FAMILY IN RAYAGADA
Nine persons on 21 October 2021 were awarded death sentence in Odisha by the Rayagada district and sessions court for the murder of three members of a family in Kitum village in 2016 on the suspicion of practising witchcraft.
OCTOBER 21, 2021BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: POLICEMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING WIFE
A policeman has been sentenced to death in Bangladesh for killing his wife, Nepalnews reported on 6 October 2021.