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
OCTOBER 30, 2019PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: COURT HANDS DOUBLE DEATH PENALTY TO LAHORE MAN FOR RAPING, MURDERING CHILD
A sessions court in Lahore on 17 October 2019 handed two death penalties, life imprisonment and an Rs700,000 fine to a man for raping and murdering a child.
OCTOBER 30, 2019KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: EX-DEATH ROW PRISONER CAMPAIGNS AGAINST CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
A former death row prisoner has spoken out against capital punishment on the 17th World Day against the death penalty, saying it deprives convicts of contrition.
- OCTOBER 29, 2019FloridaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Florida. A jury unanimously recommended death for Reynaldo Figueroa-Sanabria
USA - Florida. A jury unanimously recommended death for Reynaldo Figueroa-Sanabria
OCTOBER 29, 2019JordanDEATH PENALTYJORDAN: 22-YEAR-OLD MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING ZARQA LIBRARY OWNER
The Criminal Court on 27 October 2019 sentenced a 22-year-old man to death after convicting him of robbing and murdering a library owner in Zarqa in January 2017.
OCTOBER 29, 2019NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: COURT SENTENCES 2 MEN TO DEATH BY HANGING FOR MURDER IN EKITI
An Ado Ekiti High Court, has sentenced two men to death by hanging for conspiracy, murder and unlawful possession of human skull, the Pulse reported on 28 October 2019.
OCTOBER 28, 2019BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING TODDLER
A man was sentenced to death in Belarus for killing a toddler, despite repeated calls by the European Union for the abolition of the capital punishment in the only European country that still carries out the death penalty.
OCTOBER 28, 2019JordanDEATH PENALTYJORDAN: SISTERS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF MAN, DOMESTIC HELPER
The Criminal Court on 24 October 2019 sentenced two Zarqa sisters to death after convicting them of robbing and murdering a 72-year-old man and his Filipina domestic helper at their home in a west Amman suburb in February 2017, a senior judicial source sa
- OCTOBER 28, 2019North CarolinaDEATH PENALTY
USA - North Carolina. A jury recommended the death penalty for Mikel Brady,
USA - North Carolina. A jury recommended the death penalty for Mikel Brady,
OCTOBER 25, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: COURT AWARDS DEATH SENTENCE TO CYANIDE MOHAN
Serial killer Cyanide Mohan, 56, on 24 October 2019 was awarded death sentence for the murder of an anganwadi assistant from Dakshina Kannada in Bengaluru.
OCTOBER 25, 2019KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR THEFT OF MOTORBIKE, MOBILE PHONE AND SH250
A man who robbed a boda boda rider of his motorbike, mobile phone and Sh250, was sentenced to death on 24 October 2019 by a court in Isiolo.
OCTOBER 24, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: INDIAN NATIONAL SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DEALING IN HEROIN
An Indian national guilty of trafficking heroin on 23 October 2019 was sentenced to death by the Negombo High Court.
OCTOBER 24, 2019BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: 16 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING TEENAGER IN HARASSMENT CASE
The principal of a religious school in Bangladesh was among 16 people sentenced to death on 24 October 2019 for the murder of a teenage girl who refused to withdraw a complaint of sexual harassment against him, the public prosecutor said.
OCTOBER 23, 2019BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: 4 MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING FARIDPUR TRADER
A court in Faridpur on 20 October 2019 sentenced four men to death for murdering trader Bikash Saha in Bhanga upazila two years ago.
OCTOBER 23, 2019MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: DRUG TRAFFICKER TO HANG AFTER APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE
The Court of Appeal of Kuching on 22 October 2019 upheld the death sentence on a 30-year-old man for trafficking 855.8 grammes of methamphetamine three years ago.
OCTOBER 22, 2019MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: INDONESIAN COUPLE SENT TO GALLOWS OVER DEATH OF INFANT SON
The Federal Court of Appeal on 21 October 2019 upheld the death sentence imposed on an Indonesian man for murdering his two-day-old infant son, and overturned the lower court’s decision to release his girlfriend from the same charge.
- OCTOBER 22, 2019BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: 7 GET DEATH FOR KILLING WOMAN AFTER RAPE IN JOYPURHAT
A Joypurhat tribunal on 22 October 2019 convicted seven people and sentenced them to death for killing a woman after raping in Akkelpur Upazila in 2016.
- OCTOBER 22, 2019MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING COLLEAGUE OVER TASTELESS FOOD
An estate worker was sentenced to death by the High Court in Temerloh on 22 October 2019, after being found guilty of killing his colleague over a tasteless food preparation two years ago.
OCTOBER 21, 2019VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: A MAN WAS SENTENCED TO DEATH DUE TO MURDERING HIS GIRLFRIEND, CHOPPING HER BODY INTO SMALL PARTS
A court in Ho Chi Minh City on 17 October 2019 handed down the death sentence to a man convicted of murdering his girlfriend, chopping her body into small parts, and storing them in a refrigerator in June 2018.
OCTOBER 21, 2019BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: 12 GET DEATH PENALTY FOR MURDER IN KISHOREGANJ
A Dhaka tribunal on 21 October 2019 sentenced 12 people to death for killing a man in Kishoreganj in 2015.
- OCTOBER 18, 2019CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. A jury recommended the death penalty for Michael Gargiulo
USA - California. A jury recommended the death penalty for Michael Gargiulo
- OCTOBER 18, 2019OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. A jury has recommended the death penalty for Matthew Nicholson
USA - Ohio. A jury has recommended the death penalty for Matthew Nicholson
- OCTOBER 17, 2019BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: TWO TO DIE, THREE TO SERVE LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR KILLING HOUSEWIFE IN JHALOKATI
A court on 23 September 2019 sentenced two people to death, and three others to life term imprisonment, for killing a housewife in 2002.
OCTOBER 17, 2019MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE OF NAJADI’S KILLER
The Court of Appeal in Putrajaya on 16 October 2019 upheld the death sentence of tow truck driver Koong Swee Kwan for murdering Arab-Malaysian Bank (AmBank) founder Hussain Ahmad Najadi.
OCTOBER 16, 2019BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: THREE MUGGERS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF ANSAR MEMBER IN DHAKA
A Dhaka court on 9 October 2019 sentenced three men to death for the murder of an Ansar member in Dhaka 17 years ago.
OCTOBER 16, 2019PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: MAN, SON SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING FOUR WOMEN
An anti-terrorism court has convicted two persons for killing a woman and her three daughters in Peshawar city four years ago and sentenced them to death with fine of Rs1.6 million, Dawn reported on 3 October 2019.
OCTOBER 15, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: LIBYAN TERRORIST MISMARY SENTENCED TO DEATH
A Cairo Court on 13 October 2019 handed down a death penalty to the Libyan terrorist Abdel Rahim Mohamed Abdullah al-Mismary for involvement in the 2017 Western Desert shoot-out, which left 16 policemen killed and 13 others injured.
- OCTOBER 15, 2019BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: FIVE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR WAR CRIME
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on 15 October 2019 sentenced five war criminals to death for their crimes against humanity during the liberation war in 1971, reports UNB.
- OCTOBER 14, 2019BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: 7 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER IN FARIDPUR
A Faridpur court on 10 October 2019 sentenced seven people to death for killing a truck driver in 2014.
- OCTOBER 14, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
SRI LANKA: DRUG TRAFFICKER ORDERED THE DEATH PENALTY
Drug trafficker Mohomad Gadaffi of Maligawatta on 11 October 2019 was ordered the death penalty by the Colombo High Courts.
OCTOBER 14, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: 6 SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER ATTACK ON HARAM HOTEL
The Giza Criminal Court on 12 October 2019 sentenced six out of 26 defendants to the death penalty over a 2016 terrorist attack on a hotel in Giza.