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 1, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: ONE GETS DEATH, 11 LIFE TERM IN TRIPLE MURDER CASE
A court in Assam on 13 March 2020 sentenced one man to death and sentenced 11 others to life imprisonment for killing three members of a family in Majuli district on suspicion of practising witch-craft in 2012.
- MARCH 31, 2020TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Appeals Court Rejects Recommendation for New Trial for Rigoberto Avila.
USA - Texas. Appeals Court Rejects Recommendation for New Trial for Rigoberto Avila.
MARCH 31, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: GUJARAT MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPING, KILLING 3-YEAR-OLD GIRL
A court in Rajkot in Gujarat on 17 March 2020 sentenced a man to death for the rape and murder of a three-year-old girl in February 2018.
MARCH 31, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Iran Human Rights publishes its
IRAN - Iran Human Rights publishes its "Annual Death Penalty Report in Iran in 2019": 280 executions.
- MARCH 30, 2020EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: 5 SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER DAMAGING PIPELINE, CAUSING 9 DEATHS
A criminal court on 26 March 2020 sentenced five people to death, over damaging a petroleum pipeline and causing the death of nine people in November in northern Egypt.
MARCH 28, 2020YemenDEATH PENALTYYEMEN: HOUTHI REBELS PARDON BAHA'I SENTENCED TO DEATH, RELEASE ALL MINORITY GROUP PRISONERS
Yemen's Houthi rebels announced they had pardoned a minority Baha’i sentenced to death over his religion and ordered the release of more than 20 other members of the minority imprisoned in the capital Sanaa, local reports said on 25 March 2020.
MARCH 25, 2020NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: SIX DEATH SENTENCES FOR MURDER IN EKITI
An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced six persons to death for murder and attempted murder, Daily Post reported on 24 March 2020.
MARCH 25, 2020ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: COURT HANDS RARE DEATH SENTENCE TO RAPIST WHO HELD GIRL CAPTIVE FOR 24 DAYS
A man has been sentenced to death in the central Hunan province for kidnapping and raping a 16-year-old girl whom he held captive in a hidden room under the floor of his home for over three weeks, domestic outlet Red Star News reported on 23 March 2020.
MARCH 25, 2020United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTYUAE: COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE OF FATHER WHO SEXUALLY ABUSED DAUGHTER
The Ras Al Khaimah Criminal Court of Appeal has upheld the death sentence earlier issued against an Asian father after he was found guilty of sexually abusing his minor daughter, Khaleej Times reported on 25 March 2020.
- MARCH 23, 2020ColoradoDEATH PENALTY
USA - Colorado. Colorado Abolishes Death Penalty.
USA - Colorado. Colorado Abolishes Death Penalty.
MARCH 23, 2020ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: SERIAL RAPIST SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
A serial rapist from Bulawayo who raped and murdered a woman from Cowdray Park suburb who was coming from fetching firewood with her two neighbours was on 20 March 2020 sentenced to death.
MARCH 23, 2020DEATH PENALTYIRAN: ANOTHER NOVEMBER PROTESTER SENTENCED TO DEATH
A young man who was arrested during the protests in November 2019 in Iran was sentenced to death.
- MARCH 21, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Another November protester, Siamak Moghimi Momeni, sentenced to death.
IRAN - Another November protester, Siamak Moghimi Momeni, sentenced to death.
MARCH 20, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: FOUR MEN EXECUTED FOR BRUTAL 2012 DELHI BUS RAPE AND MURDER
India hanged four men on 20 March 2020 who were convicted for the rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in New Delhi in 2012, in a case that shocked the world and shamed the country over its appalling record for crimes against women.
- MARCH 20, 2020PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: COURT AWARDS DEATH PENALTY IN MURDER CASE IN SARGODHA
An additional district and session court Sargodha Judge Farhan Muddasir on 19 March 2020 awarded death sentence to a man in Inspector murder case.
MARCH 19, 2020JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: CARE HOME MASS MURDERER WILL NOT APPEAL DEATH PENALTY RULING
A Japanese man who was sentenced to death over the 2016 murder of 19 mentally impaired people at a care home near Tokyo said on 18 March 2020 he will not appeal the ruling.
MARCH 19, 2020PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: MURDER ACCUSED GETS DEATH SENTENCE
Gujranwala Model Court Special Judge Shakeel Ahmed Sapra on 18 March 2020 awarded death sentence to a murder accused.
- MARCH 19, 2020NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR STEALING TWO PHONES, WRISTWATCHES
A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja on 18 March 2020 sentenced one Muritala Salami to death for armed robbery.
MARCH 18, 2020BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: FATHER, UNCLE GET DEATH PENALTY FOR THE MURDER OF FIVE-YEAR-OLD CHILD
A Sunamganj court on 16 March 2020 handed down the death sentence to two people in connection with the murder of five-year-old child Tuhin Hasan last year.
MARCH 17, 2020SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING; HIS BROTHER GETS LIFE IMPRISONMENT
A man was sentenced to hang on 21 February 2020 by the Singapore High Court on drug-related charges, while in the same case his brother was sentenced to life in prison.
MARCH 17, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 3 CONVICTS GET DEATH PENALTY FOR GANG RAPE, MURDER OF MINOR GIRL IN 4-DAY TRIAL
A Jharkhand court on 3 March 2020 sentenced three persons to death for the gangrape and murder of a six-year-old girl, in a judgement that came in less than a month after the crime was committed.
MARCH 17, 2020NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: OSUN ASSEMBLY PASSES DEATH PENALTY FOR KIDNAPPERS
The Osun House of Assembly on 10 March 2020 passed a bill seeking death sentence for convicted kidnappers in the state.
- MARCH 16, 2020JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN: DEATH PENALTY FOR MASS KILLING AT CARE HOME FOR DISABLED
A court in Japan on 16 March 2020 sentenced a man to death by hanging for the murder of 19 people at a care center for disabled people.
- MARCH 16, 2020BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: 4 JMB MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING HINDU PRIEST IN PANCHAGARH
Four members of banned militant group Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were sentenced to death on 15 March 2020 for killing a Hindu priest in Panchagarh in 2016.
MARCH 16, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: SOLDIER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING CIVILIAN
A military tribunal in Somalia sentenced a military officer to death on 15 March 2020 for killing a civilian outside Somali capital, Mogadishu.
- MARCH 16, 2020CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. A jury recommended the death penalty for Jade Douglas Harris
USA - California. A jury recommended the death penalty for Jade Douglas Harris
- MARCH 14, 2020AfghanistanDEATH PENALTY
AFGHANISTAN: 4 MEN CONVICTED OF KIDNAPPING AND MURDER SENTENCED TO DEATH
A Kabul appeals court on 8 March 2020 sentenced four men to death for the kidnapping and killing an eleven-year-old boy.
MARCH 14, 2020VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: SIX HEROIN TRAFFICKERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
Carrying 162 kg of drugs, six smugglers were awarded capital punishment in the northern Cao Bang Province on 9 March 2020.
- MARCH 13, 2020FloridaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Florida. Barry Noetzel and Jesse Bell sentenced to death
USA - Florida. Barry Noetzel and Jesse Bell sentenced to death
- MARCH 12, 2020OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. Judge Donald Oda II DID NOT sentence Jack Welninski to death
USA - Ohio. Judge Donald Oda II DID NOT sentence Jack Welninski to death