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
- JUNE 20, 2019United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Georgia. Marion Wilson was executed. His execution was the 1,500th since the death penalty was reintroduced in the United States in 1976.
USA - Georgia. Marion Wilson was executed. His execution was the 1,500th since the death penalty was reintroduced in the United States in 1976.
JUNE 19, 2019PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: THREE MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPING GIRL IN SANGHAR
Three men were handed death sentences on 24 May 2019 by an additional sessions court in Sanghar for the gang rape of a student of class nine.
JUNE 19, 2019ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: 5 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TRANSPORTING, MANUFACTURING DRUGS
A court in central China's Hunan Province on June 18 2019 sentenced five people to death for transporting and manufacturing drugs.
JUNE 19, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MADHYA PRADESH HC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE OF 5-YEAR-OLD'S RAPIST IN JABALPUR
A division bench of MP high court on 17 June 2019 commuted the death sentence awarded to a 19-year-old boy, who had raped and killed his five-year-old cousin at a village under Katangi police station in Jabalpur district. The court commuted the death pena
JUNE 18, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: FORMER PRESIDENT MORSI DIES AFTER FALLING ILL IN COURT
Egypt's first democratically elected president Mohamed Morsi, an Islamist who was ousted after one year of divisive rule, died after falling ill during a court hearing on 17 June 2019, the attorney general said. He was 67.
- JUNE 18, 2019United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Federal. Federal judge William Lawrence vacated the federal death sentence of Bruce Carneil Webster
USA - Federal. Federal judge William Lawrence vacated the federal death sentence of Bruce Carneil Webster
JUNE 17, 2019VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: THREE DRUG TRAFFICKERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
A court in Lang Son Province in northern Vietnam on 13 June 2019 gave death sentences to two men and a woman for smuggling heroin and synthetic drugs.
- JUNE 17, 2019GhanaDEATH PENALTY
GHANA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER MURDER OF STEPMOTHER HE ACCUSED OF WITCHCRAFT
A 38-year-old man who murdered his stepmother on the accusation of witchcraft in 2010 has been sentenced to death by the Tamale High Court, ghanawebonline reported on 16 June 2019.
JUNE 13, 2019AlgeriaDEATH PENALTYALGERIA: THREE MEMBERS OF FORMER INTELLIGENCE SERVICE SENTENCED TO DEATH
A military court in Blida, 45 km South-west of Algiers, has pressed death sentence against three members of the former Security and Intelligence Directorate (DRS) for providing intelligence to foreign countries.
JUNE 13, 2019VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: TWO MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A central Vietnam court has sentenced two men to death for trafficking meth and heroin from Laos to Vietnam.
- JUNE 13, 2019South CarolinaDEATH PENALTY
USA - South Carolina. A jury sentenced Tim Jones, 37, White, to death for killing his 5 children
USA - South Carolina. A jury sentenced Tim Jones, 37, White, to death for killing his 5 children
- JUNE 12, 2019NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING HIS GIRLFRIEND IN YOBE
A Yobe High Court on 11 June 2019 sentenced one Muhammed Adamu to death by hanging for killing his girlfriend, Hauwa Muhammad, 24.
- JUNE 11, 2019IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA: MEDAN DRUG KINGPIN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SMUGGLING METHAMPHETAMINES FROM MALAYSIA
The Medan District Court on 11 June 2019 sentenced Junaidi Siagian to death for smuggling 53.3 kilograms of methamphetamines from Malaysia.
JUNE 11, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: COURT OF CASSATION COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY, UPHOLDS JAIL TERMS IN 2013 STORMING OF KERDASA POLICE STATION
Egypt’s Court of Cassation on 10 June 2019 commuted a death sentence against a defendant convicted in the case of the storming of the Kerdasa police station in Giza in July 2013, and has upheld life imprisonment terms against three other men in the same c
JUNE 11, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: BOMBAY HC UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY CLAUSE FOR REPEAT OFFENDERS IN RAPE CASES
The Bombay High Court on 3 June 2019 upheld the Constitutional validity of an amended section of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) under which repeat offenders in rape cases can be awarded life imprisonment or death penalty.
JUNE 10, 2019PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: 2 LASHKAR-E-JHANGVI MILITANTS HANDED DOWN DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING LAWYER
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on 23 May 2019 sentenced 2 Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militants to death in an eight-year-old case of a lawyer’s killing in a sectarian attack outside a former judge’s residence.
JUNE 10, 2019MalawiDEATH PENALTYMALAWI: KILLER OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH ALBINISM SENTENCED TO DEATH
Malawi’s high court on 7 June 2019 sentenced to death a man who murdered a young albino.
JUNE 6, 2019IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: ALL 11 FRENCH IS SUSPECTS SENTENCED TO DEATH
A Baghdad court on 3 June 2019 sentenced to death two more French nationals for belonging to the Islamic State group, leaving all 11 Frenchmen transferred from Syria facing the gallows in Iraq.
JUNE 6, 2019NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: FARMER SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING IN DELTA
A High Court sitting at Ughelli on 30 May 2019 sentenced a 40-year old farmer, Alex Obigho to death by hanging for the murder of the personal steward/cook to the traditional ruler of Kiagbodo community.
- JUNE 6, 2019OklahomaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Oklahoma. A jury sentenced Derek Don Posey to death.
USA - Oklahoma. A jury sentenced Derek Don Posey to death.
- JUNE 4, 2019ThailandDEATH PENALTY
THAILAND: 3 MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING BRITISH MAN AND WIFE
Three men in northern Thailand were found guilty on 31 May 2019 of murdering a British expat and his Thai wife and sentenced to death.
JUNE 4, 2019IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: NINTH FRENCH JIHADI SENTENCED TO DEATH
An Iraqi court on 2 June 2019 sentenced to death one more Frenchmen for joining the Islamic State armed group, bringing the total to nine.
- JUNE 3, 2019VietnamDEATH PENALTY
LAO MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SMUGGLING 10KILOS OF DRUGS TO VIETNAM
A court in the central province of Nghe An sentenced a Lao man to death on 31 May 2019 for carrying 10.7 kilos of drugs into Vietnam.
- JUNE 3, 2019IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: EIGHTH FRENCH IS MEMBER SENTENCED TO DEATH
An Iraqi court on 2 June 2019 sentenced to death an eighth Frenchman for joining the Islamic State group, rejecting his claims he was tortured into confessing.
JUNE 3, 2019ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: TWO CHILD TRAFFICKERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
Two child traffickers have been sentenced to death and 10 others given prison terms and fined in North China's Shanxi Province, the Xinhua News Agency reported on 1st June 2019.
- MAY 30, 2019IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: TUNISIAN MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR BELONGING TO ISIS
An Iraqi court on 29 May 2019 sentenced 24-year-old Tunisian Mohammed Berriri to death for joining IS, after a hearing lasting less than an hour.
- MAY 29, 2019IraqDEATH PENALTY
IRAQ: TWO MORE FRENCH ISLAMIC STATE MEMBERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
An Iraqi court on 28 May 2019 sentenced two high-profile French members of the Islamic State group to death, bringing the total number of French former jihadis condemned to death this week to six.
- MAY 29, 2019ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: TWO DRUG TRAFFICKER SENTENCED TO DEATH SIX YEARS AFTER THE TRIAL
The Intermediate People’s Court in Jiangmen, Guangdong province, on 30 April 2019 handed down death sentences for drug offences to two accused and suspended death sentences for five others.
MAY 28, 2019IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: FOURTH FRENCH ISIS MEMBER SENTENCED TO DEATH
An Iraqi court on 27 May 2019 condemned a fourth French citizen to death for joining the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS).
MAY 27, 2019SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: POLICEMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER MURDER
A military court in Mogadishu on 25 May 2019 sentenced Somali police officer to death for killing a rickshaw driver earlier this month.