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 11, 2019TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. A jury sentenced Ronald Lee Haskell, 39, White, to death
USA - Texas. A jury sentenced Ronald Lee Haskell, 39, White, to death
OCTOBER 10, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDER OF MARRIED COUPLE
An individual found guilty over the murder of a married couple in Udugama seven years ago, was sentenced to death on 4 October 2019 by the Galle High Court.
OCTOBER 10, 2019VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: THREE DRUG TRAFFICKERS SENTENCED TO DEATH IN SON LA
The People’s Court of the northwestern border province of Son La handed death sentences to three defendants and life sentences to two others for trafficking during a trial on 7 October 2019.
OCTOBER 9, 2019VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: 8 PEOPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A court in Ho Chi Minh City has sentenced eight people to death for drug trafficking, a court official said on 8 October 2019.
OCTOBER 9, 2019IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Annual report on the death penalty in Iran.
IRAN - Annual report on the death penalty in Iran.
OCTOBER 4, 2019Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: MOTHER AND SON SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER MURDER
A mother and a son of the same family on 3 October 2019 were sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court over a case of murder.
- OCTOBER 3, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCES SOLDIER TO DEATH FOR KILLING COLLEAGUE
A military court in Mogadishu on 2 October 2019 sentenced army officer to death.
OCTOBER 3, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MP MAN GIVEN DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPING, KILLING GIRL
A court in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on 30 September 2019 sentenced a man to death for kidnapping, raping and killing a four-year-old girl.
OCTOBER 2, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: COURT AWARDS DEATH PENALTY TO THREE FOR KILLING MINOR
Bokaro district court in the Indian state of Jharkhand on 26 September 2019 awarded death sentence to three persons for killing a minor in November 2013. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 1.50 lakh on each of them.
OCTOBER 1, 2019BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: FIVE MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OVER CARD GAME IN FARIDPUR
A Faridpur court on 29 September 2019 handed the death sentence to five men for murdering a man in a dispute over a card game five years ago.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2019PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: TWO KILLERS OF SHIA DOCTOR AND SHOPKEEPER SENTENCED TO DEATH
An anti-terrorism court on 26 September 2019 sentenced two terrorists involved in targeted murders of two Shia Muslims to death.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: 7 DEFENDANTS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR AMBUSHING HELWAN MINIBUS IN 2016
The Cairo Criminal Court on 28 September 2019 sentenced seven defendants to death after they were charged with killing eight police officers in an armed attack in May 2016, in addition to other cases where officers were killed.
- SEPTEMBER 30, 2019OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. Governor Grants Reprieve to Cleveland Jackson
USA - Ohio. Governor Grants Reprieve to Cleveland Jackson
- SEPTEMBER 27, 2019NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: FATHER, SON SENTENCED TO DEATH IN ZAMFARA
High court 3 in Gusau, Zamfara State on 26 September 2019 sentenced one Ibrahim Hamida of Gobirawa village in Tsafe Local Government Area of the state and his son, Ashiru Ibrahim, to death, for culpable homicide.
- SEPTEMBER 27, 2019FloridaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Florida. Jury recommends death penalty for Granville Ritchie, 40, Black.
USA - Florida. Jury recommends death penalty for Granville Ritchie, 40, Black.
- SEPTEMBER 27, 2019ArizonaDEATH PENALTY
USA - -Arizona. Joel Escalante-Orozco accepted a life sentence.
USA - -Arizona. Joel Escalante-Orozco accepted a life sentence.
SEPTEMBER 25, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SC UPHOLDS DEATH TO MAN FOR RAPING GIRL, KILLING BROTHER
The Supreme Court on 1° August 2019 upheld the death penalty of a Tamil Nadu man convicted of gang raping and murdering a 10-year-old girl and also killing her seven-year-old brother.
- SEPTEMBER 25, 2019BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: 4 TO DIE FOR KILLING MANIKGANJ SCHOOLGIRL AFTER GANG RAPE
A court in Manikganj on 24 September 2019 convicted four people and sentenced them to death for killing a schoolgirl after gang rape in 2008.
SEPTEMBER 24, 2019ThailandDEATH PENALTYTHAILAND: EX-MP RECEIVES DEATH SENTENCE FOR MASTERMINDING MURDER
The Khon Kaen Provincial Court on 24 September 2019 sentenced Nawat Tocharoensuk, the former Khon Kaen MP of the Pheu Thai Party, to death for being the mastermind behind the 2013 murder of Suchart Kotthum, the former chief administrator of Khon Kaen Prov
SEPTEMBER 24, 2019IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: 6 IS MILITANTS SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER 2013 CAR BOMB ATTACK
An Iraqi court on 23 September 2019 sentenced six Islamic State terrorists to death by hanging for their involvement in a deadly car bomb attack near the country’s Justice Ministry in 2013, leaving scores of people dead and wounded.
SEPTEMBER 24, 2019KuwaitDEATH PENALTYKUWAIT: INDIAN NATIONAL GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Indian national Rajinder Singh, a resident of Taragarh village in Punjab, has been sentenced to death in Kuwait for drug trafficking, tribuneindia.com reported on 23 September 2019.
SEPTEMBER 23, 2019MalawiDEATH PENALTYMALAWI: THREE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING PERSON WITH ALBINISM
The High Court in Mchinji on 13 August 2019 sentenced to death three people who were convicted of killing a person with albinism.
SEPTEMBER 23, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: GIRIDIH COURT AWARDS DEATH SENTENCE TO MAN FOR RAPING AND KILLING FOUR-YEAR-OLD GIRL
A special POCSO court in Giridih on 21 September 2019 awarded death sentence to a man for raping and killing a four-year-old girl while sentencing his father for life in the case.
SEPTEMBER 23, 2019NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING ONDO APC CHIEFTAIN
A 25-year-old man, David Seimiyengha, has been sentenced to death by an Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure, the state capital, for committing kidnapping and murder, punchng.com reported on 22 September 2019.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: ODISHA COURT AWARDS DEATH PENALTY IN MINOR'S RAPE CASE
A special POCSO court in Odisha's Cuttack on 19 September 2019 awarded the death sentence to Mohammad Mustaq for raping and murdering a six-year-old girl.
SEPTEMBER 19, 2019PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: WOMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING HER FAMILY
A sessions judge in Sargodha has awarded the death sentence for five times to a woman for killing her husband, son and three daughters, The Nation reported on 17 September 2019.
SEPTEMBER 19, 2019BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: THREE GET DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING MOTHER, SON IN RAJSHASHAI
A tribunal in Rajshahi gave death penalty to three people for killing a woman and her son in 2014, bangladeshpost.net reported on 18 September 2019.
SEPTEMBER 19, 2019VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: WOMAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR SMUGGLING 22 BRICKS OF HEROIN
A Vietnamese woman on 17 September 2019 was sentenced to death for smuggling 22 bricks of heroin weighing 7.73 kilograms from Laos into Vietnam.
- SEPTEMBER 18, 2019FloridaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Florida. Judge Don Lester sentenced Donald Davidson Jr. to death.
USA - Florida. Judge Don Lester sentenced Donald Davidson Jr. to death.
SEPTEMBER 18, 2019PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING YOUNG DAUGHTER
A court in Karachi on 27 August 2019 awarded death sentence to a man for killing his daughter for ‘honour’.