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
- AUGUST 8, 2014Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: THREE MEN BEHEADED FOR MURDER AND DRUG TRAFFICKING
- AUGUST 7, 2014ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: ANOTHER SOUTH KOREAN EXECUTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
AUGUST 6, 2014ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: 2 KOREAN SMUGGLERS EXECUTED
China executed two South Korean men in Jilin Province for drug trafficking and trading convictions, the first
JULY 25, 2014ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: JAPANESE MAN EXECUTED OVER STIMULANT DRUG SMUGGLING
Chinese authorities executed a Japanese man in his 50s who had been sentenced to death in connection with
- JULY 18, 2014SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE: 2 CONVICTED DRUG TRAFFICKERS EXECUTED
Two Singaporeans, Tang Hai Liang, 36, and Foong Chee Peng, 48, had their death sentences carried out
JULY 9, 2014MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: TWO FRIENDS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Two friends were sentenced to death by hanging in Malaysia after being found guilty of trafficking in 15.1
JULY 1, 2014ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: TWO UGANDANS EXECUTED OVER DRUG TRAFFICKING
Ugandan Foreign Ministry spokesman Fred Opolot said two Ugandan drug traffickers – Omar Ddamulira
- JUNE 27, 2014AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: AUSTRALIAN MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR HEROIN POSSESSION
State-controlled media say a court in southern Vietnam has sentenced an Australian citizen to death for
- JUNE 25, 2014DEATH PENALTY
NONVIOLENT RADICAL PARTY: PROHIBITION ON DRUGS ENHANCES DEATH PENALTY
Policies and ideology of the prohibition on drugs have made and continue to make a significant contribution to the application of the death penalty in 2013 and the first six months of 2014.
JUNE 23, 2014IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: SEVEN PRISONERS EXECUTED FOR DRUG-RELATED CHARGES
Seven prisoners were hanged in the prison of Rasht (Northern Iran) reported the official website of the
JUNE 19, 2014VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: COURT CONFIRMS 29 DEATH SENTENCES
The Supreme People's Court in the northern province of Quang Ninh refused to revoke death sentences
- JUNE 17, 2014ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: SEVEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
A court in east China's Shandong Province sentenced seven people in three cases to death for drug
- JUNE 15, 2014IranDEATH PENALTY
a prisoner identified only as H. J. was executed for drug trafficking in the prison of Shahr Kord, Jahanbin
a prisoner identified only as H. J. was executed for drug trafficking in the prison of Shahr Kord, Jahanbin
JUNE 1, 2014MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: VIETNAMESE SEAMSTRESS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A Vietnamese seamstress was sentenced to death by hanging by a High Court in Malaysia after she was
MAY 26, 2014SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: DRUG-TRAFFICKER ON DEATH ROW SPARED GALLOWS
A 42-year-old Singaporean who has spent more than four years on death row for drug trafficking was
MAY 21, 2014North KoreaDEATH PENALTYNORTH KOREA: HARSH PUNISHMENTS FOR NON-VIOLENT OFFENCES ADDED TO CRIMINAL CODE
the Daily NK revealed that the North Korean authorities had added five extra clauses to Article 60 of the country's criminal code, which pertains to attempts to overthrow the state.
MAY 21, 2014VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH IN DIFFERENT DRUG CASES
Two Ho Chi Minh City courts independently sentenced a disabled man and an Australian Vietnamese to
MAY 19, 2014DEATH PENALTYIRAN: 14 PRISONERS EXECUTED
14 prisoners have been executed in Iran in recent days.
- MAY 18, 2014IranDEATH PENALTY
Ten prisoners were hanged in the prison of Kerman (Southeastern Iran) early this morning, reported the
Ten prisoners were hanged in the prison of Kerman (Southeastern Iran) early this morning, reported the
- MAY 17, 2014IranDEATH PENALTY
two prisoners were hanged on charge of drug trafficking in Zahedan Prison, reported the Human Rights
two prisoners were hanged on charge of drug trafficking in Zahedan Prison, reported the Human Rights
- MAY 15, 2014United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UAE: DRUG DEALER SENTENCED TO DEATH IN ABU DHABI
A criminal court in Abu Dhabi sentenced a drug dealer from another Gulf country to death after he was
- MAY 6, 2014MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: NIGERIAN NATIONAL SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A Nigerian national has been sentenced to death by a Malaysian court for trafficking
MAY 6, 2014IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: AFGHAN JUVENILE EXECUTED FOR DRUG-RELATED CHARGES
According to reports by sources in Afghanistan a juvenile offender has recently been executed in Iran. The Dari section of Radio Liberty (Radio Azadi), reported that a 15 year old Afghan boy identified as Jannat Mir was among the six Afghan citizens who w
MAY 5, 2014VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: EX PRISON GUARD SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG, GUN SMUGGLING
An appeals court in Ho Chi Minh City increased the sentence of a former prison guard from life to death for
APRIL 22, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: AMERICAN MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR HEROIN
State media say a court in Vietnam has sentenced an American to death for heroin trafficking.
- APRIL 19, 2014IranDEATH PENALTY
a prisoner was executed in the central prison of Zahedan on charge of carrying and storing drugs, reported
a prisoner was executed in the central prison of Zahedan on charge of carrying and storing drugs, reported
- MARCH 26, 2014PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: DRUG SMUGGLING CASES, 70% OF DEATH SENTENCES QUASHED BY HIGHER COURTS
Seventy per cent of the death sentences awarded by the country’s lower judiciary on drug smuggling
- MARCH 19, 2014IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN AGAINST ABOLITION OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR DRUG SMUGGLERS
Minister of Interior Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said Iran is against abolishing the death penalty for drugs smugglers, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.
MARCH 12, 2014IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: 331 PEOPLE EXECUTED FOR DRUGS OFFENCES IN 2013 WITH UN AND EUROPEAN SUPPORT
Iran executed 331 people for drug-related charges in 2013, a new report published today by the non-profit
MARCH 11, 2014IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: U.N. ANTI-DRUGS CHIEF PRAISES IRAN FIGHT DESPITE EXECUTIONS
the U.N. anti-drugs chief praised Iran's fight against narcotics trafficking despite a surge in executions in the country, many of people convicted of drug-related offences.