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
- FEBRUARY 22, 2020CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. California Announces Pilot Program to Move Some Death-Row Prisoners Out of San Quentin.
USA - California. California Announces Pilot Program to Move Some Death-Row Prisoners Out of San Quentin.
FEBRUARY 21, 2020NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: COURT SENTENCES LAGOS PRINCE TO DEATH FOR MURDER
Justice Raliatu Adebiyi of an Ikeja High Court on 16 December 2019 sentenced to death, Prince Adewale Oyekan, the son of the late Oba of Lagos, Oba Adeyinka Oyekan, for the murder of Alhaja Sikirat Ekun, a 62-year-old businesswoman and a member of the Peo
FEBRUARY 21, 2020PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: MAN HANDED DEATH PENALTY FOR SLAUGHTERING FIVE
An Additional Sessions Judge in Attock on 20 February 2020 handed a man death sentence on five counts for slaughtering five members of a family in Jatial village in Hazro on 14 June 2018.
FEBRUARY 21, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Amir Hossein Moradi, Saeed Tamjidi, and Mohammad Rajabi sentenced to death
IRAN - Amir Hossein Moradi, Saeed Tamjidi, and Mohammad Rajabi sentenced to death
FEBRUARY 20, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: THREE MEN GET DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPING AND MURDERING A DALIT
Winding up the trial in little over a month, a special court in Telangana on 30 January 2020 sentenced three men to death for raping and murdering a Dalit woman last year. The court also imposed a total fine of Rs 26,000 on them.
FEBRUARY 20, 2020PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: THREE 2014 WAGAH BORDER ATTACKERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
A special Lahore anti-terrorism court on 19 February 2020 sentenced three men to death for the 2014 suicide attack at the Wagah Border. Over 50 people were killed and 100 injured in the attack.
FEBRUARY 19, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH IN TRIPURA FOR RAPE, MURDER OF MINOR
A district court in Tripura on 13 February 2020 sentenced two people to death for the rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl in December last year.
FEBRUARY 18, 2020PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: KARACHI COURT HANDS DEATH PENALTY TO WOMAN, ACCOMPLICE FOR KILLING HUSBAND
A model court in Karachi on 13 February 2020 announced a death penalty for a woman and her accomplice after finding their role in the killing of the former’s husband in 2013, ARY NEWS reported.
FEBRUARY 17, 2020MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: DRUG TRAFFICKING ACCUSED SENTENCED TO DEATH
A 49-year-old man on 14 February 2020 was sentenced to death by the High Court in Tawau for drug trafficking.
FEBRUARY 17, 2020EthiopiaDEATH PENALTYETHIOPIA: HUMAN TRAFFICKER SENTENCED TO DEATH
A Higher court in East Harar, South-Eastern part of Ethiopia, sentenced a suspected human trafficker, who is said to be responsible for the death of five women, to death, Borkena.com reported on 17 February 2020.
- FEBRUARY 17, 2020TennesseeDEATH PENALTY
USA - Tennessee. Nicholas Sutton has chosen the electric chair for his scheduled execution
USA - Tennessee. Nicholas Sutton has chosen the electric chair for his scheduled execution
- FEBRUARY 14, 2020FloridaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Florida. Judge Howard Maltz sentenced Norman Blake McKenzie to death
USA - Florida. Judge Howard Maltz sentenced Norman Blake McKenzie to death
FEBRUARY 12, 2020MoroccoDEATH PENALTYMOROCCO: SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPING AND KILLING A WOMAN AND VIDEOTAPING HIM
A Moroccan court on 11 February 2020 sentenced to death the principal accused of raping and killing a woman in a popular neighborhood in Rabat last summer, in addition to participating in the recording of a video with the facts and disseminating it on soc
FEBRUARY 12, 2020NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING FOR STEALING IPHONE 6
An Ogun State High Court sitting at Isabo, Abeokuta, on 11 February 2020 sentenced a man identified as Olumide Adekanbi to death by hanging for armed robbery committed at Saraki-Adigbe area of Abeokuta in 2016.
- FEBRUARY 11, 2020ThailandDEATH PENALTY
THAILAND: DEATH PENALTY UPHELD FOR 'NONG SNOW' KILLER
The Supreme Court on 11 February 2020 upheld the death sentence passed by the two lower courts on a former village headman for the murder of a teenage schoolgirl in Kamalasai district in 2015.
FEBRUARY 10, 2020FranceDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: FRENCH JIHADISTS APPEAL TO UN TO AVOID DEATH PENALTY
Five French jihadists sentenced to death in Iraq have appealed to the UN to pressure France to bring them home, their lawyer has said, adding they were suffering inhumane treatment.
- FEBRUARY 10, 2020BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: HC UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY FOR FIVE JMB MEN
The High Court on 9 February 2020 confirmed the death penalty for five operatives of banned outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) for killing a public prosecutor of Jhalakathi, Advocate Haider Hossain, in 2007.
- FEBRUARY 9, 2020LouisianaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Louisiana. A jury sentenced Kyle Joekel to death
USA - Louisiana. A jury sentenced Kyle Joekel to death
FEBRUARY 7, 2020BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: THREE SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER KILLING OF AL LEADER IN LAKSHMIPUR
A Lakshmipur court has sentenced three people to death over the killing of Awami League leader Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan in Lakshmipur six years ago.
FEBRUARY 7, 2020NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING UBER DRIVER IN ABUJA
The High Court in Nyanya, Abuja, on 6 February 2020 sentenced to death one Obinna Echanu, 42, for killing an Uber driver identified as Edwin Ali.
- FEBRUARY 6, 2020BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: 5 TO BE HANGED FOR KILLING CHILD IN DINAJPUR
A Dinajpur court on 5 February 2020 sentenced five people to death for killing a child after abduction in Ghoraghat upazila in 2015.
- FEBRUARY 6, 2020FloridaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Florida. Death sentence reinstated for man Thomas Ford McCoy
USA - Florida. Death sentence reinstated for man Thomas Ford McCoy
- FEBRUARY 4, 2020SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALILAND (SOMALIA): MILITARY COURT SENTENCES POLICE OFFICER TO DEATH FOR KILLING CIVILIAN MAN
The Supreme military Court in Somaliland has handed down a death sentence to a police officer who was found guilty of killing innocent man near Wajale town in Gebiley district, Somaliland New Agency (SOLNA) reported on 3 February 2020.
FEBRUARY 4, 2020DEATH PENALTYBELARUS: KILLER GIVEN DEATH SENTENCE FOR BEHEADING BABY GIRL WITH KITCHEN KNIFE
The baby murderer who decapitated an eight-month old child will be shot in the back of the head by an executioner after losing his Supreme Court appeal.
FEBRUARY 4, 2020ZambiaDEATH PENALTYZAMBIA: 33 YEAR OLD INMATE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER IN LUANSHYA
The Ndola High Court has sentenced to death a 33 year old inmate for rape and murder of a woman at a farm in Luanshya, Zambia Reports reported on 2nd February 2020.
- FEBRUARY 4, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Iran to execute Amir Rahimpour, alleged CIA spy
IRAN - Iran to execute Amir Rahimpour, alleged CIA spy
- FEBRUARY 3, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 7 Sunni prisoners sentenced to death.
IRAN - 7 Sunni prisoners sentenced to death.
FEBRUARY 2, 2020EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: TERRORIST LEADER ASHMAWY, 36 OTHERS SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER 54 ASSASSINATIONS
A Cairo criminal court on 1st February 2020 handed preliminary death sentences to leading terrorist Hisham Ashmawy and 36 others in the case known as Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, convicting them of executing over 50 assassination attacks on policemen.
JANUARY 31, 2020NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: THREE SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING IN OSUN
Three men, Nuhu Jimoh, Ndubisi David and Aderibigbe Oluwaseun, arrested for armed robbery, were sentenced to death by hanging on 30 January 2020 by an Osun State High Court.
JANUARY 30, 2020IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA HANDS DRUG-DEALING CONVICT DEATH SENTENCE
An Indonesian court has sentenced to death an inmate for running a drug-trafficking operation from behind bars.