The death penalty for drug offences
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International law restricts the death penalty, where it still exists, to the most serious crimes, and United Nations bodies have made clear more than once that drug offences do not belong to that category. Despite this, some states go on sentencing people to death and executing them for trafficking or possession of narcotics: in certain years these executions are a substantial share of the world total.
This page collects the news on death sentences and executions for drug offences.
Latest news
SEPTEMBER 25, 2026PhilippinesDEATH PENALTYPhilippines: once sentenced to death in indonesia, Mary Jane Veloso receives pardon
SEPTEMBER 20, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Hadi Hassanlu hanged in Shiraz on September 20
SEPTEMBER 14, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - A woman, Zeinab Rajabi, and Vahid Vafaei executed in Isfahan
SEPTEMBER 14, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Abdolrahim Narouyi and Houshang Soltani executed in Isfahan
SEPTEMBER 13, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 5 men executed on September 13
Amanollah Nazarkhani, Hashem Rakhshani, Asghar Pishahang, Mohammad Mousazahi, and Yousef Abil.
SEPTEMBER 10, 2026OmanDEATH PENALTYOman: new law introduces death penalty in drug crimes
SEPTEMBER 9, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 3 men executed in Isfahan on September 9
Mohammad Yousef Issazahi, Shahrokh Pouresmaeili, and Hossein Ghasemzadeh
- SEPTEMBER 2, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Ahmad Haji-Hassani executed in Gorgan on September 2
JULY 27, 2026Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: FIVE ETHIOPIAN MIGRANTS EXECUTED
- JUNE 28, 2026Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: THREE SOMALI NATIONALS EXECUTED FOR HASHISH SMUGGLING
APRIL 20, 2026Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA - 2,000 Executions Under King Salman in 16 years
The country has a population of around 35 million.
APRIL 15, 2026IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: BAGHDAD COURT MANDATES DEATH FOR FIVE DRUG TRAFFICKERS
An Iraqi court has sentenced five drug traffickers to death after convicting them of possessing large quantities of narcotics, the Supreme Judicial Council revealed on April 15, 2026.
APRIL 14, 2026United NationsDEATH PENALTYGLOBAL - The Death Penalty for Drug Offences: Global Overview 2025
Report from Harm Reduction International
APRIL 13, 2026Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: SEVEN PEOPLE EXECUTED IN A DAY
Saudi authorities executed seven people who had been convicted of drug trafficking in a single day, state media said on April 12, 2026.
APRIL 13, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 2025 Annual Report on the Death Penalty in Iran
At least 1,639 people executed
APRIL 8, 2026MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIAN GRANDMOTHER FREED FROM MALAYSIA’S DEATH ROW AFTER 15 YEARS RETURNS HOME
An Indonesian grandmother who spent about 15 years on death row in Malaysia for drug trafficking on April 2, 2026 returned home after receiving clemency
APRIL 6, 2026ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA EXECUTES FRENCH NATIONAL CONVICTED IN 2010 FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A Frenchman sentenced to death in China in 2010 for drug trafficking has been executed, France's foreign ministry announced on April 4, 2026.
MARCH 18, 2026AfghanistanDEATH PENALTYAFGHANISTAN: TALIBAN FLOG 21 PEOPLE IN KABUL IN ONE DAY
Taliban lashed 21 people in Kabul on March 15, 2026 on charges of drug-related offenses, according to a statement from the Taliban-run Supreme Court.
MARCH 18, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - IHR Report on Alarming Prison Conditions
MARCH 16, 2026VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: 4 GET DEATH PENALTY IN HO CHI MINH CITY'S DRUG TRAFFICKING RING
The People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City on March 12, 2026 sentenced four defendants to death for their roles in a large-scale drug trafficking ring in the city.
MARCH 12, 2026SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPOREANS’ SUPPORT FOR DEATH PENALTY IN DRUG TRAFFICKING CASES RISES TO 77PC, SAYS MINISTER
Public support in Singapore for the mandatory death penalty for serious drug trafficking offences has risen, the country’s Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam reportedly said on March 12, 2026.
- MARCH 5, 2026AfghanistanDEATH PENALTY
AFGHANISTAN: TALIBAN PUBLICLY FLOG 18 PEOPLE IN KABUL AND BAMYAN
Taliban authorities publicly flogged 18 people in Kabul and Bamyan provinces in early March 2026, Kabul Now reported on March 3, 2026.
FEBRUARY 27, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 7 men executed in late January and early February 2026
Hatem Shamshiri, Fariborz Ezzati, Saeed Fazeli, Asghar Fathi, Erfan Salehi, Amir Rouhi, Ardeshir Molaei
- FEBRUARY 14, 2026SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE: MALAYSIAN MAN EXECUTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A Malaysian man convicted of trafficking a significant quantity of heroin was executed in Singapore on Feb. 11, 2026, according to an official statement issued by the Singapore authorities.
FEBRUARY 12, 2026ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA OVERTURNS DEATH SENTENCE FOR CANADIAN ROBERT SCHELLENBERG
China's Supreme People's Court on February 6, 2026 overturned the death sentence for accused Canadian drug smuggler Robert Schellenberg, a Canadian official told CBC News.
- FEBRUARY 8, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 9 men executed
- JANUARY 28, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 24 people, including two women, executed between October 12 to January 20
Hanif Lavardi,Azim Roshan, Nourkhoda Karambeigi, Bahador Pishvazi, Bakhsh Ali, Mohammad Moshkini, Ardeshir Borjian, Shiroodeh Gerayi (W), Rouhoddin Shamohammadi, Pejman Noorzadeh, Hojat Samiei, Pouria Valizadeh, Siavash Rashidpour, Khalil Jalilpour, Navid
JANUARY 28, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 6 men executed in Rasht between 7 to 18 January
Mehran Shokat, Mousa Rahbar, Taher Yazdani, Ali Zadakbari, Mansour Asghari + 1
- JANUARY 18, 2026IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 13 men executed on January 18, and 4 on January 17
167 executions since the beginning of the year
JANUARY 16, 2026IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 52 executions between January 5 to 14
On murder and drug charges