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 21, 2018Myanmar (Burma)DEATH PENALTY
BURMA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH PENALTY FOR MURDER OF 19-YEAR-OLD STUDENT
The Kyaukse Township court sentenced three men involved in the killing of a student from the Kyaukse Government Technical Institute on 19 November 2018.
- NOVEMBER 20, 2018United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UAE: MAN GIVEN DEATH PENALTY AFTER KILLING COLLEAGUE WITH IRON BAR
A man has been sentenced to death for killing a colleague with an iron bar after arguing at breakfast in Ajman, The National reported on 18 November 2018.
NOVEMBER 19, 2018BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: FIVE SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER 2007 MURDER IN CUMILLA
A Cumilla court on 14 November 2018 sentenced five people to death for killing three traders 11 years ago.
NOVEMBER 19, 2018PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: NORWEGIAN CITIZEN SENTENCED TO DEATH
A Norwegian national was sentenced to death by two judicial authorities in Pakistan for raping and killing a little girl, norwaytoday reported on 18 November 2018.
NOVEMBER 16, 2018IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: IS FIGHTER WITH STRONG FAMILY LINKS TO AUSTRALIA IS SENTENCED TO DEATH
An Islamic State (IS) fighter with strong family links to Australia has been sentenced to death by an Iraqi court after making detailed admissions about the operations and plots of the extremist group, ABC reported on 14 November 2018.
NOVEMBER 16, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: REGIME COURTS ISSUED DEATH SENTENCES FOR 32 ACTIVISTS SINCE 2011
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) on 13 November 2018 condemned the kingdom’s persistence on passing death sentences against anti-regime activists, calling the practice an “inhuman punishment” as the ruling Aal-e Khalifah regime presses ahead wit
NOVEMBER 16, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: MILITARY COURT IN PUNTLAND SLAPS 4 MEN WITH DEATH PENALTY
A military court in Puntland state has sentenced four men to death penalty over charges of terrorism, sources confirmed on 14 November 2018.
NOVEMBER 16, 2018ZambiaDEATH PENALTYZAMBIA: 27-YEAR-OLD SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF GIRLFRIEND
A 27 year old man of Chingola Township on the Copperbelt has been sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of his girlfriend, zambiareports reported on 12 November 2018.
- NOVEMBER 15, 2018DEATH PENALTY
TEXAS (USA): ROBERT MORENO RAMOS EXECUTED
Robert Moreno Ramos was executed on 14 November 2018.
- NOVEMBER 15, 2018PennsylvaniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Pennsylvania. A jury sentenced Melvin Knight to death
USA - Pennsylvania. A jury sentenced Melvin Knight to death
- NOVEMBER 15, 2018CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. Judge Kathryn Montejano sentenced Eric Jimenez to death
USA - California. Judge Kathryn Montejano sentenced Eric Jimenez to death
- NOVEMBER 14, 2018TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Robert Moreno Ramos was executed.
USA - Texas. Robert Moreno Ramos was executed.
- NOVEMBER 14, 2018MissouriDEATH PENALTY
USA - Missouri. Documentary on the Joseph Amrine case
USA - Missouri. Documentary on the Joseph Amrine case
- NOVEMBER 13, 2018DEATH PENALTY
ARKANSAS (USA): SUPREME COURT LIFTS DEATH SENTENCE FOR CONVICTED MURDERER
The Arkansas Supreme Court on 8 November 2018 reversed the death penalty given Kenneth Reams by a Jefferson County jury in the 1993 shooting death of Gary Turner during a robbery at an ATM machine.
NOVEMBER 13, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: COURT SENTENCES FOUR NATIONALS TO DEATH OVER TERROR CHARGES
A Bahraini court on 12 November 2018 sentenced four of its nationals to death for their alleged roles in a deadly bombing last year.
- NOVEMBER 12, 2018VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: THREE DRUG DEALERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
A Hanoi court on 8 November 2018 sentenced three men to death and one man to life imprisonment for drug trafficking.
NOVEMBER 12, 2018KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: 2 BODA BODA RIDERS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR STEALING LAPTOP
Two boda boda riders were sentenced to death on 10 November 2018 for stealing a laptop after losing an appeal in a high court.
- NOVEMBER 11, 2018United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Exonerations and Wrongful Convictions Harm Murder Victims’ Families, Too.
USA - Exonerations and Wrongful Convictions Harm Murder Victims’ Families, Too.
- NOVEMBER 9, 2018EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: EIGHT ISIS JIHADISTS ARE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DEADLY ATTACK AGAINST SOLDIERS
An Egyptian military court on 7 November 2018 sentenced eight ISIS fighters to death for a deadly attack against an army checkpoint in 2016.
- NOVEMBER 9, 2018PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: ATC AWARDS DEATH PENALTY FOR KIDNAPPING, MURDER
An antiterrorism court on 8 November 2018 handed down death sentence to a convict and life imprisonment to two others for killing a man over non-payment of ‘protection’ money of just Rs2,000.
NOVEMBER 9, 2018SyriaDEATH PENALTYSYRIA: 11 REBELS SENTENCED TO DEATH
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Assad regime sentenced 11 detainees and prisoners in Hama Central Prison to execution, Al Arabiya reported on 9 November 2018.
NOVEMBER 8, 2018IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: KURDISH WOMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH ON ADULTERY CHARGES
An Iranian court recently sentenced to death a Kurdish woman on adultery charges, a Kurdish rights group reported on 5 November 2018.
- NOVEMBER 8, 2018ArkansasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Arkansas. The Arkansas Supreme Court today reversed the death penalty of Kenneth Reams
USA - Arkansas. The Arkansas Supreme Court today reversed the death penalty of Kenneth Reams
- NOVEMBER 7, 2018TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - 2018 Midterm Elections Appraisal.
USA - 2018 Midterm Elections Appraisal.
NOVEMBER 6, 2018PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR DOUBLE MURDER
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) announced on 1 November 2018 a two-time death sentence to a man convicted in a double murder case.
- NOVEMBER 5, 2018IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: JUVENILE OFFENDER SENTENCED TO DEATH
According to the Iranian newspaper Javan, a prisoner was sentenced to qisas (retribution in kind) on a murder charge, IHR reported on 1 November 201
- NOVEMBER 5, 2018South SudanDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH SUDAN: PRESIDENT PARDONS TWO PROMINENT DEATH ROW INMATES
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir on 31 October 2018 ordered the release of James Gatdet Dak the spokesperson of SPLM-IO leader.
- NOVEMBER 5, 2018CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. Two death-row prisoners died of suspected suicides
USA - California. Two death-row prisoners died of suspected suicides
- NOVEMBER 5, 2018FloridaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Florida. Clemente Aguirre Exonerated From Death Row
USA - Florida. Clemente Aguirre Exonerated From Death Row
- NOVEMBER 5, 2018SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: MILITARY COURT SENTENCES SOLDIERS TO DEATH FOR KILLING
Somali Military Court has on 5 November 2018 sentenced two members of armed forces to death for murder.