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
OCTOBER 26, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB MILITANT SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER PRISON BREAK
A military court in the Somali capital Mogadishu on 25 October 2020 sentenced to death by firing squad in absentia Idle Mubarak Ibrahim, an al-Shabaab militant, over the 12 August 2020 prison break at the Mogadishu Central Prison and the murder of two peo
OCTOBER 26, 2020MoroccoDEATH PENALTYMOROCCO: EXTRADITED FROM DENMARK, SAID MANSOUR SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TERRORISM
A Moroccan court on 19 October 2020 sentenced to death Said Mansour for his involvement in the May 2003 terrorist attacks in Casablanca.
OCTOBER 26, 2020PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: MAN HANDED DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING COP
An Anti-terrorism court (ATC) awarded on 22 October 2020 two death sentences to a man for killing a police official during a bank robbery attempt.
OCTOBER 26, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Peyman Safaei executed at Aligudarz Central Prison on October 26.
IRAN - Peyman Safaei executed at Aligudarz Central Prison on October 26.
OCTOBER 24, 2020IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: SIX PEOPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH IN THE CRIME OF AL-WATHBA
The Iraqi judiciary sentenced six people to death for their involvement in Al-Wathba Square incident that sparked widespread controversy in the country, Shafaq News reported on 21 October 2020.
OCTOBER 22, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: JUVENILE OFFENDERS WILL NOT FACE DEATH PENALTY, SAYS SAUDI HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
Saudi Arabia’s Human Rights Commission (HRC) has reiterated that juvenile offenders will not face the death penalty in kingdom, Gulf News reported on 22 October 2020.
OCTOBER 22, 2020SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: COURT OF APPEAL DISMISSES APPLICATION BY DRUG TRAFFICKER ON DEATH ROW
The Court of Appeal of Singapore on 16 October 2020 dismissed an application by a drug trafficker on death row for a review of his case, reminding defence counsels not to invoke the review process lightly and without reasonable basis or they will face san
- OCTOBER 21, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: ASSAM DEATH PENALTY FOR LYNCHING DOCTOR
A Jorhat court on 21 October 2020 handed death penalty to an accused and life terms to 24 others convicted in the Dr Deben Dutta lynching case of 2019.
OCTOBER 21, 2020PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: ATC ANNOUNCES DEATH SENTENCE TO 3 KIDNAPPERS
The Anti-Terrorist Court (ATC) no. III, Rawalpindi Judge Raja Pervez Akhtar on 20 October 2020 awarded two times death sentence to each accused involved in kidnapping of 14-years old girl, student of class 8.
OCTOBER 20, 2020MissouriDEATH PENALTYUSA - Missouri. Carman Deck death sentence reinstated
USA - Missouri. Carman Deck death sentence reinstated
OCTOBER 19, 2020SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: MALAYSIAN ESCAPES GALLOWS AFTER COURT OF APPEAL REVERSES DEATH SENTENCE
Singapore’s Court of Appeal on 19 October 2020 set aside a previous death sentence it meted out to Gobi Avedian, a Malaysian who was convicted of drug trafficking.
- OCTOBER 19, 2020MissouriDEATH PENALTY
USA - Missouri. Death penalty restored against Carman Deck.
USA - Missouri. Death penalty restored against Carman Deck.
OCTOBER 18, 2020BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: FIVE MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR 2012 GANG RAPE OF TEEN
A Bangladesh court on 15 October 2020 sentenced five men to death for the 2012 gang rape of a 15-year-old girl, amid growing public anger over rampant sexual violence.
OCTOBER 17, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: HAPUR COURT AWARDS DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPE, MURDER OF MINOR
The District and Sessions Court of Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, on 15 October 2020 awarded death penalty to two domestic helps for raping and killing a 12-year-old girl in September 2018.
- OCTOBER 15, 2020South SudanDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH SUDAN: TWO CATTLE RAIDERS SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING
A judge in South Sudan's Jonglei state on 13 October 2020 sentenced two men to death for stealing two cows and killing the man who owned the animals.
- OCTOBER 15, 2020BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: 3 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING KHULNA WOMAN
Khulna court on 12 October 2020 sentenced three people including husband to death for killing a woman at Badurgaccha village in Dumuria upazila in 2016.
OCTOBER 14, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: KISMAYO HOTEL ATTACKER SENTENCED TO DEATH
A military court in Kismayo, Somalia, on 13 October 2020 sentenced to death one of the attackers in the July 2019 bombing at a hotel in the coastal city that left 26 people dead and injured 50 others.
OCTOBER 14, 2020VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: FILIPINA RECEIVES DEATH FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
A Filipino woman in southern Tay Ninh Province was sentenced to death on 9 October 2020 for smuggling about 5 kg of drugs.
- OCTOBER 13, 2020SudanDEATH PENALTY
SUDAN: POLICEMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN EAST DARFUR FOR RAPING A GIRL
A court in East Darfur State has sentenced to death a policeman for raping a thirteen year old girl, Darfur24 reported on 12 October 2020.
- OCTOBER 13, 2020BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: FIVE GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING CHILD AFTER ABDUCTION
A tribunal in Joypurhat on 12 October 2020 sentenced five people to death for killing a two and a half years old girl after abduction in 2015.
OCTOBER 13, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Four men were executed at Rajai Shahr Prison on October 13.
IRAN - Four men were executed at Rajai Shahr Prison on October 13.
OCTOBER 12, 2020ZambiaDEATH PENALTYZAMBIA: COURT SENTENCES LUSAKA MAN TO DEATH FOR KILLING GIRLFRIEND
Lusaka High Court Judge Sharon Newa has sentenced a 22-year-old man of Mandevu to death by hanging for killing his 20-year-old girlfriend, whose lifeless body was discovered in her house by her elder sister, Diggers News reported on 12 October 2020.
OCTOBER 11, 2020NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: HIGH COURT SENTENCES SERIAL KILLER TO DEATH BY HANGING
A Nigerian court handed out a death penalty sentence on 9 October 2020 to convicted serial killer Gracious David-West, accused in the deaths of nine women.
OCTOBER 8, 2020MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: FEDERAL COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE OF FORMER SAWMILL WORKER FOR MURDER, RAPE OF NURSE
A former sawmill worker who raped a nurse after slashing the woman on the neck will be hanged for her death, having failed in his last attempt to set aside the death sentence, after the Federal Court of Putrajaya dismissed his appeal on 7 October 2020.
OCTOBER 7, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: DELHI MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR MURDERING 11-YEAR-OLD BOY
A Delhi court on 6 October 2020 awarded death penalty to a 32-year man for killing an 11-year-old child after kidnapping him in 2009, saying the act was “cruel and gruesome and did not deserve leniency”.
OCTOBER 7, 2020PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: HIGH COURT ACQUITS CHRISTIAN ON DEATH ROW FOR BLASPHEMY
A high court in Pakistan on 6 October 2020 acquitted a Christian man who had been sentenced to death on blasphemy charges in 2014.
OCTOBER 6, 2020BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: SUPREME COURT COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY OF 3 CONVICTS
The Supreme Court on 6 October 2020 commuted the death penalties of three convicts to imprisonment till natural death in the Gopal Krishna Muhuri murder case.
- OCTOBER 6, 2020AlabamaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Alabama. The death sentence imposed on Heather Keaton has been overturned
USA - Alabama. The death sentence imposed on Heather Keaton has been overturned
- OCTOBER 5, 2020BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: TWO HOUSEMAIDS GET DEATH PENALTY FOR MURDERING EX-EDEN COLLEGE PRINCIPAL
A Dhaka court on 4 October 2020 handed down the death sentence to two housemaids for the murder of former Eden College principal Mahfuza Chowdhury Parveen in 2019.
OCTOBER 5, 2020PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: VEHARI MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPE, MURDERS OF TWO MINOR GIRLS
A local court in Mailsi, Punjab province, on 3 October 2020 sentenced a man to death for raping and murdering two minor girls after kidnapping them over 11 months ago.