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
AUGUST 4, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE AND MURDER OF MINOR GIRL
The Vijayawada Special POCSO Act Court in Andhra Pradesh on 4 August 2020 awarded death penalty to an accused, Barlapudi Pentaiah, 43, alias Aaya, who raped and murdered an eight-year-old girl in Bhavanipuram area.
AUGUST 3, 2020MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: HAWKER SENT TO GALLOWS FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A hawker has been sentenced to death for trafficking in 41.7gm of heroin and monoacetylmorphines following a cross-appeal by the prosecution under the amended Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA), Free Malaysia Today reported on 30 July 2020.
AUGUST 3, 2020Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: SLPP RATHNAPURA DISTRICT CANDIDATE PREMALAL JAYASEKARA AND TWO OTHERS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
Former MP, SLPP (Sri Lanka People's Front) candidate from Rathnapura district, Premalal Jayasekara and two others on 31 July 2020 were sentenced to death over a fatal shooting incident during President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s campaign in Kahawatta in the run
AUGUST 1, 2020VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: CAMBODIAN CROSS-BORDER DRUG TRAFFICKER GETS DEATH SENTENCE
The People's Court of the southern province of Tay Ninh handed a death penalty to a Cambodian drug trafficker during a trial on 31 July 2020.
AUGUST 1, 2020ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: OFFICIAL SENTENCED TO DEATH WITH TWO-YEAR REPRIEVE
A senior Chinese Communist Party official charged with taking bribes worth more than $100 million was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, Xinhua news agency reported on 31 July 2020.
JULY 30, 2020PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: DEATH ROW CONVICTS FREED DUE TO ‘LIFE EXPECTANCY RIGHT’
The Supreme Court has overturned death sentence of two brothers – Sikandar Hayat and Jamshed Ali – who have spent 27 years of their lives in jail on account of “the right of expectancy of life”.
JULY 30, 2020South SudanDEATH PENALTYSOUTH SUDAN: MINOR REMOVED FROM DEATH ROW
Magai Matiop Ngong on 29 July 2020 was removed from death row following the South Sudan Court of Appeal’s decision on 14 July to quash the death sentence imposed on him because he was a child at the time of the crime.
JULY 29, 2020NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER MURDER OF ENUGU LAWYER
Two suspected masterminds in the murder of former Executive Secretary of Enugu State Committee on Adada state creation, Mr Ejimofor Ozongwu, were sentenced to death on 27 July 2020 by an Enugu State High Court.
JULY 28, 2020MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: BANGLADESHI MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING FELLOW COUNTRYMAN TWO YEARS AGO
A Bangladeshi man on 28 July 2020 was sentenced to death by the High Court in George Town, Malaysia, after he was found guilty for the murder of a countryman two years ago.
JULY 27, 2020VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: FIVE DEATH SENTENCES HANDED DOWN IN DRUG CASE
The People’s Court of HCM City on 27 July 2020 handed down five death sentences and four terms of life imprisonment to defendants involved in a major drug ring led by Van Kinh Duong.
- JULY 25, 2020NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING FOR KILLING NEWBORN BABY IN ADAMAWA
The Appeal Court in Yola, Adamawa State, on 22 July 2020 upheld the death sentence of a man for killing his newborn baby boy.
JULY 25, 2020MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF PEPPER BUSINESSMAN
The High Court of Kuching, Malaysia, on 24 July 2020 convicted and sentenced a man, who killed a pepper businessman in 2016, to death.
JULY 23, 2020EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: THREE DEFENDANTS SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER ABDUCTION, RAPE OF A MINOR
Egypt’s Qena Criminal Court, headed by Counselor Othman Mohamedin, on 21 July 2020 sentenced to death three defendants over the abduction, rape and attempted murder of a young 17-year old woman.
- JULY 22, 2020NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR ARMED ROBBERY
A Delta State High Court sitting in Asaba has sentenced one Amechi Stanley Chidokwe to death by hanging for armed robbery, The Sun reported on 22 July 2020.
JULY 21, 2020KuwaitDEATH PENALTYKUWAIT: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING PREGNANT SAUDI WIFE
Kuwait’s top court on 20 July 2020 upheld a lower court’s ruling condemning a Kuwaiti man to death for killing his pregnant Saudi wife by strangulating her three years ago, Saudi Arabia’s Okaz newspaper reported.
- JULY 20, 2020MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: NOT ALL 6 CONVICTED OF MURDERING DPP DESERVE DEATH SENTENCE, SAYS NGO
A NGO against the mandatory death penalty on 17 July 2020 said not all the six sentenced to hang for the murder of a deputy public prosecutor in 2015 deserve to be sent to the gallows.
JULY 20, 2020DEATH PENALTYIRAN: MAHMOUD MOUSAVI MAJD EXECUTED ON ESPIONAGE CHARGES
According to state media, Mahmoud Mousavi-Majd’s death sentence was carried out on 18 July 2020.
JULY 19, 2020DEATH PENALTYUSA: DUSTIN HONKEN EXECUTED AT TERRE HAUTE FEDERAL PRISON
Dustin Honken, 52, White, was executed on July 17, 2020 at Terre Haute Federal Prison. He was pronounced dead at 4:36 p.m., the Bureau of Prisons said.
- JULY 18, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Mahmoud Mousavi Majd executed on July 18 on espionage charges.
IRAN - Mahmoud Mousavi Majd executed on July 18 on espionage charges.
- JULY 17, 2020DEATH PENALTY
USA - Dustin Honken, 52, White, was executed at Terre Haute federal prison.
USA - Dustin Honken, 52, White, was executed at Terre Haute federal prison.
JULY 16, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Wesley Purkey Execution Temporarily Halted
USA - Wesley Purkey Execution Temporarily Halted
- JULY 16, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - The federal execution of Wesley Ira Purkey has been accomplished
USA - The federal execution of Wesley Ira Purkey has been accomplished
- JULY 16, 2020DEATH PENALTY
USA: THE FEDERAL EXECUTION OF WESLEY IRA PURKEY HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED
Wesley Ira Purkey, 68, White, was executed on July 16, 2020. He was pronounced dead at 8:19 a.m. local time, which means 13:19 GMT, and 14:19 in Italy.
JULY 14, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Daniel Lewis Lee was executed at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana.
USA - Daniel Lewis Lee was executed at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana.
- JULY 14, 2020DEATH PENALTY
USA: DANIEL LEWIS LEE WAS EXECUTED AT THE U.S. PENITENTIARY IN TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA
After the Supreme Court of the United States stepped in, Daniel Lewis Lee was executed on July 14, 2020 morning by lethal injection at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana.
JULY 13, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Hossein Reyhani, a young man arrested during the November 2019 uprising, sentenced to death.
IRAN - Hossein Reyhani, a young man arrested during the November 2019 uprising, sentenced to death.
- JULY 12, 2020MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: SIX SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING PROSECUTOR
The High Court of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 9 July 2020 sentenced to death six men for the murder of deputy public prosecutor Datuk Anthony Kevin Morais.
JULY 10, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Federal Jane E. Magnus-Stinson Orders Delay of federal execution of Daniel Lewis Lee.
USA - Federal Jane E. Magnus-Stinson Orders Delay of federal execution of Daniel Lewis Lee.
JULY 9, 2020NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: 37-YEAR-OLD SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR BEHEADING MAN FOR RITUAL
An Osun State High Court sitting in Ile-Ife on 7 July 2020 sentenced a 37-year-old man, Ogunyemi Oluleke, to death by hanging for murder.
JULY 9, 2020IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: SOME 100 DRUG OFFENDERS SENTENCED TO DEATH THIS YEAR
Indonesian National Police Chief Idham Azis said on 2 July 2020 that around 100 drug offenders across the country have been given capital punishment since the beginning of this year.