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
- SEPTEMBER 14, 2020Palestinian TerritoriesDEATH PENALTY
GAZA: COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE ISSUES NINTH DEATH SENTENCE IN 2020
The Court of First Instance in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, on 18 August 2020 sentenced a 31-year-old man from Rafah to death by hanging after he was convicted of murder in the death of 22-year-old Mahmoud Bashar Ibrahim Al-Hamayda.
SEPTEMBER 12, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Navid Afkari was executed on September 12, in Adelabad prison, in Shiraz.
IRAN - Navid Afkari was executed on September 12, in Adelabad prison, in Shiraz.
SEPTEMBER 12, 2020MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: DRUG DEALER SENTENCED TO DEATH IN KUCHING
A drug dealer on 21 August 2020 was sentenced to death by hanging by the High Court in Kuching on the charge of trafficking 211.95 grams of syabu, or methamphetamine two years ago.
- SEPTEMBER 10, 2020PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: CHRISTIAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR 'BLASPHEMOUS TEXTS'
A court in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on 8 September 2020 sentenced a Christian man to death for having committed "blasphemy", his lawyer said.
SEPTEMBER 10, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: TWO MILITANTS SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER TERROR ATTACK
A Saudi court on 9 September 2020 sentenced two militants to death on charges of involvement in a 2014 attack on a Shiite gathering and links to the terrorist Daesh group, the news portal Sabq reported.
SEPTEMBER 9, 2020VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: DRUG DELIVERIES DELIVER DEATH SENTENCE FOR MAN
A 42-year-old Vietnamese man was sentenced to death on 17 August 2020 for delivering many packages of drugs for a Cambodian woman known only as Roem.
SEPTEMBER 9, 2020ThailandDEATH PENALTYTHAILAND: THE KING COMMUTES THE DEATH PENALTY TO SPANISH ARTUR SEGARRA FOR LIFE
The King of Thailand has commuted the death penalty to which the Spanish Artur Segarra was sentenced for the murder in 2016 of his compatriot David Bernat in Bangkok, to life imprisonment, the Corrections Department confirmed to Efe on 17 August 2020.
SEPTEMBER 8, 2020NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: YAM THIEF SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING FARMER
An Ekiti State high court, Ado Ekiti division, on 17 August 2020 sentenced a 26-year-old man, Dele Ojo, to death by hanging for murder.
SEPTEMBER 8, 2020BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: THREE SENTENCED TO DEATH IN RAJBARI FOR GANGRAPE OF FEMALE DOCTOR
A court in Rajbari district on 2 September 2020 sentenced three accused to death in a gang rape case filed by a female doctor.
SEPTEMBER 7, 2020BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: THREE SENTENCED TO DEATH LOSE THEIR FINAL APPEAL
Three men who received the capital punishment for bludgeoning a man to death with a hammer and a brick have lost their final appeal, The Gulf Daily News reported on 10 August 2020.
SEPTEMBER 7, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: DEATH FOR THREE MEMBERS OF AL-HARAZAT TERROR CELL
A Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh sentenced on 6 September 2020 three members of a terrorist cell, known as “Al-Harazat”, to death for their involvement in several attacks across Saudi Arabia.
SEPTEMBER 7, 2020MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: NEPALI SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING FELLOW COUNTRYMAN
The High Court in Ipoh, Malaysia, on 17 August 2020 sentenced a Nepali man to death after finding him guilty of murdering a lorry driver and fellow countryman four years ago.
- SEPTEMBER 5, 2020VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: FOUR DRUG TRAFFICKERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
A court in the central province of Nghe An on 10 August 2020 sentenced four men to death for trafficking 28.7 kilograms of methamphetamine from Laos.
SEPTEMBER 5, 2020NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: SINGER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR BLASPHEMY IN KANO STATE
A musician in Nigeria's northern state of Kano on 10 August 2020 was sentenced to death by hanging for blaspheming against the Prophet Muhammad.
SEPTEMBER 4, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Mississippi. Curtis Flowers Exonerated n. 171
USA - Mississippi. Curtis Flowers Exonerated n. 171
SEPTEMBER 3, 2020VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: SINGAPOREAN DRUG TRAFFICKER GETS DEATH SENTENCE
The People’s Court of the southwestern border province of Tay Ninh on 7 August 2020 handed a death penalty to a 40-year-old Singaporean man for drug trafficking.
SEPTEMBER 3, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: SEVEN ISLAMIST MILITANTS SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER KILLINGS OF SHI'ITES
A Saudi court has sentenced seven Islamic State militants to death over a 2014 shooting attack that killed eight Shi'ite Muslims near the eastern city of al-Ahsa, state television reported on 2 September 2020.
- SEPTEMBER 2, 2020ThailandDEATH PENALTY
THAILAND: KING COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE FOR MYANMAR MEN IN BRITISH TOURIST MURDER CASE
Two migrant workers from Myanmar on death row in Thailand for the 2014 murder of two British backpackers had their sentences commuted to life in prison on 14 August 2020 thanks to a royal decree.
SEPTEMBER 2, 2020YemenDEATH PENALTYYEMEN: INDIAN NURSE NIMISHA PRIYA’S APPEAL AGAINST DEATH PENALTY ACCEPTED BY COURT
In a temporary relief to the family members of Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse who has been sentenced to death in Yemen, the apex court in the country on August 29, 2020 accepted her appeal against the death penalty imposed against for murdering a Yemeni m
- SEPTEMBER 1, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCES SOLDIER TO DEATH FOR KILLING CIVILIAN
A military court in Somalia on 22 August 2020 sentenced a soldier to death by firing squad for killing a civilian in Southern Somalia.
SEPTEMBER 1, 2020VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: SEVEN MEN GET DEATH SENTENCE FOR TRAFFICKING DRUGS
Seven men residing in the northwestern border province of Dien Bien were sentenced to death on 21 August 2020 for drug trafficking.
- AUGUST 31, 2020ThailandDEATH PENALTY
THAILAND: GOLD ROBBER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING TODDLER, GUARD, AND SHOP EMPLOYEE
A gold robber who killed three people including a toddler in January on 27 August 2020 was sentenced to death after a court has found him guilty of nine charges.
AUGUST 31, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Coronavirus Prison Fatalities Reaches 931, Surpass Two Decades of Executions
USA - Coronavirus Prison Fatalities Reaches 931, Surpass Two Decades of Executions
- AUGUST 29, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Navid Afkari has been sentenced to death.
IRAN - Navid Afkari has been sentenced to death.
AUGUST 27, 2020MississippiDEATH PENALTYUSA - Mississippi. Based on DNA evicence conviction and death sentence of Eddie Lee Howard overturned
USA - Mississippi. Based on DNA evicence conviction and death sentence of Eddie Lee Howard overturned
AUGUST 27, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Florida. Robert Duboise, who had been sentenced to death in 1985, walked out of prison.
USA - Florida. Robert Duboise, who had been sentenced to death in 1985, walked out of prison.
AUGUST 7, 2020ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: FOURTH CANADIAN SENTENCED TO DEATH ON DRUG CHARGES
China has sentenced a fourth Canadian citizen to death on drug charges in less than two years following a sharp downturn in ties over the arrest of an executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei.
AUGUST 6, 2020ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: CANADIAN CITIZEN SENTENCED TO DEATH ON DRUG CHARGE
China has sentenced a Canadian citizen to death on charges of manufacturing the drug ketamine amid heightened tension between the two countries.
AUGUST 5, 2020Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER MURDER OF DAUGHTER
Nuwara Eliya High Court on 4 August 2020 sentenced a man to death for the murder of his three and half year old daughter.
AUGUST 5, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - On August 5, the Supreme Court upheld a death sentence against political prisoner Heydar Ghorbani
IRAN - On August 5, the Supreme Court upheld a death sentence against political prisoner Heydar Ghorbani