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
NOVEMBER 20, 2025MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: APEX COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY ON S’WAK MAN FOR KILLING BABY
The Federal Court on November 19, 2025 upheld the conviction and death sentence on a father found guilty of murdering his two-month-old disabled baby boy by smashing the child’s body.
NOVEMBER 19, 2025PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: HUSBAND SENTENCED TO DEATH, IN-LAWS GET LIFE IN SANIA ZAHRA MURDER CASE
A Multan sessions court on November 18, 2025 sentenced a man to death for murdering his 20-year-old pregnant wife Sania Zehra.
NOVEMBER 17, 2025EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: WIFE SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER MURDERING HUSBAND, 6 CHILDREN IN MINYA
The Minya Criminal Court in Upper Egypt on November 8, 2025 sentenced the defendant “Hajar”, 26, to death by hanging for killing her husband and his six children in the village of Dalija.
NOVEMBER 17, 2025New HampshireDEATH PENALTYUSA - New Hampshire. ACLU Files Amicus Brief for Sole Death Row Prisoner: Michael Addison
NOVEMBER 17, 2025BulgariaDEATH PENALTYBULGARIA DELAYS EXTRADITION OF BEIRUT BLAST SUSPECT PENDING DEATH PENALTY ASSURANCES
A Bulgarian court on November 10, 2025 postponed a hearing on Lebanon’s request to extradite Igor Grechushkin, the Russian-Cypriot ship operator linked to the 2020 Beirut port explosion that killed more than 200 people, pending assurances that he will not
NOVEMBER 17, 2025BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: OUSTED PM HASINA SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR STUDENTS CRACKDOWN
A Bangladesh war crimes court sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death on November 17, 2025, concluding a months-long trial that found her guilty of ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year.
NOVEMBER 16, 2025FloridaDEATH PENALTYUSA - Florida. Angel Gabriel Cuz Choc sentenced to death
NOVEMBER 14, 2025South CarolinaDEATH PENALTYUSA - South Carolina. Stephen Bryant, 44, White, was executed. By firing squad
It is the state’s third such killing in year
NOVEMBER 13, 2025FloridaDEATH PENALTYUSA - Florida. Bryan Jennings, 66, White, was executed
NOVEMBER 10, 2025BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: COUPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING COP OVER 'EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR' IN MYMENSINGH
A Mymensingh court on November 6, 2024 sentenced a policeman and his wife to death for killing another policeman over "extramarital affairs" in 2014.
NOVEMBER 7, 2025United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Prisoners off death row protest transfer to supermax lockup
NOVEMBER 6, 2025United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - States’ death penalty policies are heading in sharply different directions
NOVEMBER 6, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Reza Abdali sentenced to death
Political prisoner
NOVEMBER 5, 2025ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: FIVE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN NORTHERN MYANMAR CRIMINAL GANG SENTENCED TO DEATH
Five members of a 21-person family-run syndicate based in northern Myanmar were sentenced to death by a Chinese court on November 4, 2025 for multiple charges
NOVEMBER 3, 2025IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: TWO DRUG TRAFFICKERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
An Iraqi court on November 3, 2025 sentenced two convicted drug traffickers to death, after they were caught in possession of 102 kilograms of Captagon and an additional 96 kilograms of hashish.
NOVEMBER 3, 2025ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: SON SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING MUM BY RUNNING HER OVER WITH CAR IN INSURANCE FRAUD
A 23-year-old man in China was sentenced to death for killing his mother, surnamed Xu, in a staged road accident, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on November 2, 2025.
NOVEMBER 2, 2025BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: 7 YOUTHS SENTENCED TO DEATH IN DOUBLE MURDER CASE IN KHULNA
A Khulna court on October 28, 2025 sentenced seven youths to death for killing Parvez Hawlader and Suprana Saha in the city's Daulatpur Paabla area on January 3, 2009.
NOVEMBER 2, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: ANDHRA COURT AWARDS DEATH PENALTY TO 5 IN 2015 MURDER OF CHITTOOR MAYOR, HER HUSBAND
Five persons accused of murdering Chittoor Mayor Katari Anuradha and her husband Mohan were sentenced to death by a sessions court in Andhra Pradesh on October 31, 2025.
- OCTOBER 29, 2025BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: 4 SENTENCED TO DEATH IN BARISHAL GANG RAPE CASE
A Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal on 26 October 2025 sentenced four individuals to death for their involvement in a gang rape case.
OCTOBER 29, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Sharifeh Mohammadi’s death sentence commuted to 30 years’ imprisonment
Human rights defender
OCTOBER 28, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Zahra Shahbaz Tabari sentenced to death
Political prisoner
OCTOBER 28, 2025KuwaitDEATH PENALTYKUWAIT: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING WIFE ON EID
In a landmark ruling, the Criminal Court of Kuwait on October 27, 2025 sentenced a Kuwaiti citizen to death for the premeditated murder of his wife in the Mutlaa area on the first day of Eid al-Fitr.
OCTOBER 27, 2025KuwaitDEATH PENALTYKUWAIT: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KIDNAPPING AND SEXUALLY ASSAULTING A CHILD
The Criminal Court, headed by Counselor Nasser Al-Badr and comprising Judges Abdulaziz Al-Muadhadi and Abdulhadi Al-Hajri, has sentenced a Kuwaiti citizen to death for the abduction and sexual assault of a 9-year-old child
OCTOBER 27, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Overturned the death sentences of 5 political prisoners
Rezgar Beigzadeh Babamiri, Pejman Soltani, Ali (Soran) Ghasemi, Kaveh Salehi, and Teyfour Salimi Babamiri
OCTOBER 25, 2025Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: OVER 800 PERSONS ON DEATH ROW
A total of 826 individuals are on death row at present (October 2025), Commissioner of Prisons and Media Spokesman Jagath Weerasinghe stated.
OCTOBER 23, 2025AlabamaDEATH PENALTYUSA - Alabama. Anthony Boyd, 54, Black, was executed on October 23
By nitrogen suffocation
- OCTOBER 22, 2025NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: 3 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING FRIEND OVER LOAN
A Kano State High Court, sitting at Court No. 15, has sentenced three men to death by hanging after finding them guilty of murdering a carpenter, Abba Aminu Yalwa, Daily Trust reported on October 20, 2025.
- OCTOBER 20, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MINOR GIRL’S GANGRAPE AND MURDER
The Court of Special Judge (POCSO Act), Agra, on October 16, 2025, awarded death sentence to two accused for the kidnapping, gangrape and murder of a five-and-a-half-year-old minor girl last year.
OCTOBER 19, 2025MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING, BURNING PREGNANT GIRLFRIEND
Klang High Court on October 15, 2025 sentenced a man to death by hanging after he pleaded guilty to a charge of murdering and burning his pregnant girlfriend in Sabak Bernam, two years ago.
OCTOBER 18, 2025IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Iran executes unidentified prisoner accused of espionage for Israel