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 19, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: DEATH FOR DAESH TERRORIST FOR KILLING SECURITY OFFICIAL
The Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh sentenced to death a Daesh (so called IS) terrorist, who was convicted of committing several crimes, including killing of a security official, Saudi Gazzette reported on 17 November 2019. The Saudi convict can appe
NOVEMBER 18, 2019KuwaitDEATH PENALTYKUWAIT: COURT OF CASSATION COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE
The Court of Cassation on 14 November 2019 upturned the verdict issued by a lower court, which sentenced a Kuwaiti citizen to death for killing his father in their Waha family residence over a family dispute. The court thereby commuted the verdict to life
NOVEMBER 18, 2019ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: TYCOON SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR FORMING A CRIMINAL SYNDICATE WITH TRIAD GANGSTERS
A former tycoon in China who built a £1 billion empire through sheer violence and terror on 6 November 2019 was sentenced to death with reprieve.
NOVEMBER 18, 2019KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: POLICE OFFICER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING THREE WHILE IN DRUNKEN STUPOR
The High Court in Mombasa on 14 November 2019 sentenced to death a police officer who shot and killed three people while he was drunk 16 years ago.
NOVEMBER 15, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB OPERATIVES SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING SOLDIERS
A military court in Mogadishu on 14 November 2019 sentenced two Al-Shabaab operatives to death and two others to life imprisonment for the murder of three soldiers and one civilian.
NOVEMBER 15, 2019NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: THREE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KIDNAPPING LAGOS MONARCH, KILLING PALACE GUARD
An Ikeja Special Offences Court on 13 November 2019 sentenced to death three men who kidnapped a Lagos monarch and killed his palace guard.
- NOVEMBER 14, 2019NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA REINTRODUCES DEATH PENALTY BILL FOR HATE SPEECH THAT INCITES MURDER
The Nigerian Senate has reportedly reintroduced a bill, that it had previously abandoned, which will impose the death penalty on anybody found guilty of hate speech that incites the death of another person.
- NOVEMBER 14, 2019PennsylvaniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Pennsylvania. A jury sentenced Rahmael Holt to death.
USA - Pennsylvania. A jury sentenced Rahmael Holt to death.
NOVEMBER 14, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: GOVT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE OF BEANT SINGH KILLER TO LIFE
The Union Home Ministry on 12 November 2019 commuted the death sentence of Babbar Khalsa terrorist Balwant Singh Rajoana who was sentenced to death in 2007 for the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.
NOVEMBER 14, 2019VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: 5 DRUG TRAFFICKERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
Five members of a transnational drug trafficking ring, including the 41-year-old Lao ringleader and four Vietnamese accomplices, were sentenced to death for smuggling 148 cakes of heroin, Vietnam News Agency reported on 14 November 2019.
NOVEMBER 13, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: MAN CONVICTED FOR POSSESSING DRUGS SENTENCED TO DEATH
A person who was convicted for the possession of 200g 600mg of heroin was sentenced to death on 11 November 2019.
NOVEMBER 13, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: FOUR GET DEATH PENALTY FOR 2008 RAMPUR ATTACK
Four persons, including two Pakistani nationals were sentenced to death in the Rampur ‘terror’ attack case by Additional District and Sessions Judge Sanjay Kumar Singh on 2nd November 2019.
- NOVEMBER 13, 2019OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. Judge Timothy J. McCormick has imposed the death penalty on Matthew Nicholson
USA - Ohio. Judge Timothy J. McCormick has imposed the death penalty on Matthew Nicholson
- NOVEMBER 13, 2019TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. A jury sentenced Hector Acosta to death
USA - Texas. A jury sentenced Hector Acosta to death
- NOVEMBER 12, 2019DEATH PENALTY
OHIO (USA): SUPREME COURT ORDERS REVIEW OF FORD’S DEATH SENTENCE IN 2013 SLEDGEHAMMER KILLINGS
Ohio Supreme Court on 7 November 2019 threw out the death sentence of Shawn Ford Jr, 25, because of his low IQ.
NOVEMBER 12, 2019PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: KARACHI COURT SENTENCES MUGGER TO DEATH FOR KILLING INSPECTOR
A Karachi court on 9 November 2019 sentenced to death an accused person found guilty of killing an inspector during an armed robbery in 2016.
NOVEMBER 11, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: DEATH SENTENCE IMPOSED ON JULAMPITIYE AMARE
The Tangalle High Court on 8 November 2019 imposed the death sentence on ‘Julampitiye Amare' over the Katuwana shooting incident in 2012.
NOVEMBER 11, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: PRESIDENT SIRISENA GRANTS PARDON TO ROYAL PARK MURDER CONVICT ON DEATH ROW
Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena in the final week of his term in office has pardoned a death row prisoner who was convicted of a murder of a Swedish teenager in 2005, local media reported on 9 November 2019.
NOVEMBER 8, 2019MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: DEATH SENTENCE FOR TWO WOMEN IN PENANG FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
The High Court in George Town on 31 October 2019 sentenced to death two women after finding them guilty on a charge of trafficking in 294.9 grammes of drugs into the country three years ago.
NOVEMBER 8, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: ACCUSED SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER MURDER
A man found guilty of killing his wife and two children in 2012 was sentenced to death on 7 November 2019.
- NOVEMBER 7, 2019OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. Ohio Supreme throws out death sentence of Shawn Ford
USA - Ohio. Ohio Supreme throws out death sentence of Shawn Ford
NOVEMBER 7, 2019KuwaitDEATH PENALTYKUWAIT: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING WIFE
A Kuwaiti court on 29 October 2019 sentenced an Egyptian man to death after he was convicted of stabbing his Lebanese wife to death in front of their children.
NOVEMBER 6, 2019BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE OF JAMAAT LEADER
Bangladesh’s Supreme Court on 31 October 2019 upheld a death sentence against a top Islamist leader for war crimes in a move that lawyers said meant he would almost certainly be executed in the coming months.
NOVEMBER 5, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: TWO SHABAAB MEMBERS SENTENCED TO DEATH, DISTRICT COMMISSIONER TO LIFE FOR MURDER OF DEPUTY COMMISSIONER
A military court in Mogadishu on 28 October 2019 sentenced two Al-Shabaab members to death in connection with a bomb attack on the late Mahas deputy district commissioner, Rashid Osman Abdi.
NOVEMBER 5, 2019LebanonDEATH PENALTYLEBANON: UBER DRIVER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF UK WOMAN
A Lebanese court on 1st November 2019 sentenced an Uber driver to death for the murder of a British embassy worker in Beirut nearly two years ago, the country’s National News Agency reported.
- NOVEMBER 5, 2019IdahoDEATH PENALTY
USA - Idaho. Prosecutor Says Thomas Creech, State’s Longest-Serving Death-Row Prisoner, Should Not Be Executed.
USA - Idaho. Prosecutor Says Thomas Creech, State’s Longest-Serving Death-Row Prisoner, Should Not Be Executed.
- NOVEMBER 4, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
SRI LANKA: FATHER OF 2 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR POSSESSING HEROIN
A 38-year-old father of two on 30 October 2019 was sentenced to capital punishment by the Colombo High Court, over charges of possession of heroin.
- NOVEMBER 4, 2019LebanonDEATH PENALTY
LEBANON: EIGHT PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOUBLE ATTACK IN 2013 ARE SENTENCED TO DEATH
The Justice Council of Lebanon, the highest court in the country, sentenced to death eight people responsible for the double attack on the al Takwa and al Salam mosquesin the Lebanese city of Tripoli in 2013, which resulted in 47 civilians killed and 500
OCTOBER 31, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: HC UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR RAPIST & KILLER OF MINOR
The High Court of Uttarakhand has upheld the death penalty sentence awarded by a lower court to Akhtar Ali who was convicted of raping and murdering a minor at Kathgodam in 2014, the Daily Pioneer reported on 19 October 2019.
OCTOBER 31, 2019MoroccoDEATH PENALTYMOROCCO: DEATH SENTENCE CONFIRMED AGAINST FOUR MEN IN BACKPACKER MURDERS
A Moroccan appeals court upheld, late on 30 October 2019, death sentences against three Moroccan men for murdering two Scandinavian women in the Atlas mountains last December.