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
APRIL 3, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: UP MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPING 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL
A special POCSO court in Firozabad (UP) on 1 April 2021 sentenced a man to death for raping a 10-year-old girl in December 2020, disposing of the case in a “record” three and a half months.
APRIL 1, 2021MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: EX-POLICEMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR STEP-DAUGHTER’S MURDER
A former police corporal told his family members to accept what had happened and to look after his children after the High Court of Kuala Lumpur on 31 March 2021 sentenced him to death by hanging for killing his step-daughter six years ago.
MARCH 31, 2021PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: SHC COMMUTES MAN’S DEATH SENTENCE INTO LIFE TERM
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on 30 March 2021 commuted the death sentence of a convicted man into life term in a murder case of his wife.
MARCH 31, 2021VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: TWO MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TRADING DRUGS IN NORTH-CENTRAL PROVINCES
Two defendants on 30 March 2021 were sentenced to death for drug-related offenses in two separate cases in the north-central Vietnamese provinces of Ha Tinh and Nghe An.
MARCH 30, 2021PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPING AND KILLING MINOR GIRL
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan on 27 March 2021 handed down death sentence to a man for raping and murdering a minor girl in 2019 in Punjab province.
MARCH 30, 2021VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: ACTIVISTS FACING DEATH REFUSE TO PLEAD FOR AMNESTY, ASSERTING INNOCENCE
Two Vietnamese land-rights activists facing the death penalty after being convicted for their roles in a deadly clash with police last year at the Dong Tam commune outside Hanoi are refusing to ask for amnesty in the case, saying the move would amount to
MARCH 30, 2021Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: SAUDI CITIZEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING BANGLADESHI
A court in Saudi Arabia on 24 March 2021 sentenced Umar al-Shammeri, a Saudi Arabian citizen, to death for killing Bangladeshi immigrant Sagar Patwari in Dammam of the country 15 years ago.
MARCH 30, 2021CaliforniaDEATH PENALTYUSA - California. Jamelle Armstrong resentenced to life
He was sentenced to death in 2004
MARCH 29, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: FOUR GET DEATH SENTENCE FOR HONOUR KILLING IN JHARKHAND
The district court in Jharkhand’s Koderma on 25 March 2021 awarded death sentence to four people convicted in an honour-killing case. The four convicts include the victim’s parents and her uncle and aunt.
MARCH 27, 2021BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: 14 ISLAMIST MILITANTS GIVEN DEATH SENTENCE FOR ATTEMPTING TO KILL PM HASINA
A Bangladeshi court on 23 March 2021 handed down the death sentence to 14 Islamist militants for attempting to kill Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her southwestern constituency in 2000.
MARCH 25, 2021AlgeriaDEATH PENALTYALGERIA: MUEZZIN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SLITTING THROAT OF HIS PREGNANT WIFE
A 42-year-old muezzin has been sentenced to death in Algeria for stabbing and slitting the throat of his wife - who was pregnant with twins - in a crime that shocked Algerian society, Gulf News reported on 21 March 2021.
MARCH 25, 2021EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING WIFE, BROTHER
An Egyptian man has been sentenced to death on charges of murdering his wife and his brother after the convict had sexually assaulted his daughter, Gulf News reported on 23 March 2021.
MARCH 24, 2021PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: SC CONVERTS DEATH SENTENCE INTO LIFE-TERM
The Supreme Court (SC) on 22 March 2021 converted the death sentence of a murder convict into life imprisonment.
- MARCH 24, 2021EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: YOUNG MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPING, BEATING AND KILLING 10-YEAR-OLD COUSIN
An Egyptian man has been sentenced to death for raping and killing his 10-year-old cousin, Gulf News reported on 23 March 2021.
MARCH 23, 2021PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: COURT AWARDS DEATH PENALTY TO MAN IN MURDER CASE
A man involved in robbery and murder was awarded death penalty on 10 March 2021 by a court in Rawalpindi.
- MARCH 23, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: HC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE IMPOSED ON YOUNGSTER CONVICTED FOR MURDERING NEIGHBOUR
The Madras High Court on 17 March 2021 commuted from death to life sentence the punishment imposed by a trial court on an unemployed youngster convicted for murdering his 54-year-old woman neighbour in a residential complex.
- MARCH 22, 2021PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: PAIR SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER MOTORWAY GANG RAPE
A Pakistani court on 20 March 2021 sentenced two men to death over the gang rape of a French-Pakistani mother, lawyers said, an attack that prompted nationwide protests and tough new anti-rape legislation.
MARCH 22, 2021ThailandDEATH PENALTYTHAILAND: SEVEN DEATH SENTENCES FOR FAMILY MASSACRE
The Supreme Court on 18 March 2021 sentenced to death seven men convicted of the mass murder of a family in Krabi in 2017.
MARCH 20, 2021BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: 2 GET DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING CHILD IN CHAPAINAWABGANJ
Two people on 18 March 2021 were sentenced to death for killing a seven-year-old child, Baitul, in Chapainawabganj.
MARCH 20, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH 26 DAYS AFTER RAPING 5-YEAR-OLD GIRL
A special POCSO court in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district on 17 March 2021 awarded death penalty to a man for raping a 5-year-old girl 26 days ago and appreciated the swift action by the police in the case.
- MARCH 18, 2021SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALILAND’S MILITARY COURT SENTENCES SOLDIER TO DEATH
A Somaliland military court on 13 March 2021 sentenced a military soldier to death for killing a civilian.
MARCH 18, 2021BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: FOUR GET DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING BUSINESSMAN IN KHULNA
A Khulna court on 18 March 2021 sentenced four people to death and five others to life term imprisonment for killing a businessman in 2010.
MARCH 18, 2021JordanDEATH PENALTYJORDAN: SIX GET DEATH SENTENCE IN ZARQA REVENGE ATTACK CASE
The State Security Court (SSC) on 17 March 2021 sentenced six men to death in the case of the 16-year-old boy, who was a victim of a brutal revenge attack in Zarqa in October last year.
MARCH 18, 2021New YorkDEATH PENALTYUSA - New York. Judge Finds Prosecutor Lied to Convict Three Men in 1990s Death-Penalty Case
They have now been released
MARCH 17, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: ARIZ KHAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF INSPECTOR MOHAN CHAND SHARMA
A Delhi court on 15 March 2021 awarded the death penalty to convict Ariz Khan for the murder of inspector Mohan Chand Sharma in the 2008 Batla House encounter case.
- MARCH 17, 2021PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: SHC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE INTO LIFE TERM IN A MURDER CASE
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on 17 March 2021 commuted the death sentence of accused Farhan Ahmed to life imprisonment in alleged murder case.
MARCH 16, 2021PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: CLERIC SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPING MINOR IN PESHAWAR
A Pakistani court on 13 March 2021 sentenced a cleric to death for sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl in Peshawar city two years ago, the Dawn reported.
MARCH 16, 2021AfghanistanDEATH PENALTYAFGHANISTAN: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KABUL UNIVERSITY ATTACK
An appellate court in Parwan on 3 March 2021 sentenced to death two suspects accused of plotting the November 2020 attack on Kabul University.
- MARCH 15, 2021BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: TWO GET DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING KHULNA COLLEGE TEACHER
A Khulna court sentenced two accused to death on 15 March 2021 for killing a teacher of Shahid Abul Kashem Degree College in 2017.
MARCH 15, 2021PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: CHRISTIAN SERVING LIFE FOR BLASPHEMY GETS DEATH SENTENCE
A Pakistani court has given the death sentence to a Christian previously jailed for life after being convicted of sending text messages defaming Prophet Muhammad, UCA News reported on 12 March 2021.