The death penalty for drug offences
Archive theme
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
MAY 8, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: MAN BEHEADED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Saudi authorities beheaded a Pakistani man found guilty of smuggling drugs into the kingdom
- MAY 6, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA EXECUTES SYRIAN DRUG TRAFFICKER
Saudi authorities beheaded a Syrian man after he was convicted of drug trafficking, the interior
- APRIL 29, 2013DEATH PENALTY
IRAN: SIX PEOPLE EXECUTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
six people have been executed recently in Iran for drug trafficking.
- APRIL 28, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
two friends were sentenced to death by the Malaysian High Court for trafficking
two friends were sentenced to death by the Malaysian High Court for trafficking
- APRIL 26, 2013IranDEATH PENALTY
The Iranian regime hanged 4 prisoners in the Central Prison
The Iranian regime hanged 4 prisoners in the Central Prison
APRIL 26, 2013DEATH PENALTYIRAN: EIGHT PRISONERS EXECUTED
At least eight people have been hanged in Iran in the last days.
- APRIL 22, 2013IranDEATH PENALTY
Two women were hanged in the Dizelabad prison of Kermanshah
Two women were hanged in the Dizelabad prison of Kermanshah
APRIL 10, 2013SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: DRUG TRAFFICKER ESCAPES DEATH SENTENCE UNDER AMENDED MISUSE OF DRUGS ACT
A 29-year-old man has escaped the gallows in Singapore for drug trafficking as he satisfied the
- APRIL 9, 2013DenmarkDEATH PENALTY
DENMARK STOPS AID TO IRAN’S FIGHT AGAINST DRUG TRAFFICKING
The Danish government has decided to cut its aids to Iran’s anti-drug program, say Danish
- APRIL 7, 2013EgyptDEATH PENALTY
three Seychellois were sentenced to death in Egypt for drug trafficking.
three Seychellois were sentenced to death in Egypt for drug trafficking.
MARCH 29, 2013IranDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: IRANIAN SISTERS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Two Iranian sisters were sentenced to death by the High Court in Malaysia for trafficking
MARCH 27, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: COURT SENTENCES 3 DRUG DEALERS TO DEATH, JAILS 18
A court in southeast China's Fujian Province said that it has sentenced three
- MARCH 15, 2013IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA RESUMES EXECUTIONS AFTER HIATUS
Indonesia put to death a Malawian drug trafficker, the government said, in the country's first execution for several years.
- MARCH 14, 2013QatarDEATH PENALTY
QATAR: DRUG TRAFFICKER SENTENCED TO DEATH
In Qatar, a bench of the Doha Criminal Court has unanimously sentenced a drug trafficker to death
- MARCH 13, 2013United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UAE: BRITON AND SYRIAN ON DEATH ROW ESCAPE EXECUTION AS SENTENCE COMMUTED
Two men sentenced to death for drug dealing had their sentence commuted to four years
- MARCH 13, 2013Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Adam Abdullah Younes, a Nigerian, was beheaded in Riyadh, after being convicted of trafficking drugs into
Adam Abdullah Younes, a Nigerian, was beheaded in Riyadh, after being convicted of trafficking drugs into
- FEBRUARY 28, 2013IranDEATH PENALTY
The official website of the Iranian judiciary in Semnan reported that one prisoner
The official website of the Iranian judiciary in Semnan reported that one prisoner
FEBRUARY 28, 2013DEATH PENALTYIRAN: FIVE PRISONERS EXECUTED FOR DRUG-RELATED CHARGES
According to the official Iranian media five prisoners have been hanged in three different Iranian cities. All the prisoners are convicted of drug-related charges.
FEBRUARY 28, 2013ChinaDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: CHINESE MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TRAFFICKING 11KG OF NARCOTICS
In Vietnam, the Ho Chi Minh City Supreme People's Court of Appeal rejected an
- FEBRUARY 27, 2013IranDEATH PENALTY
The official Iranian news agency IRNA reported that one prisoner was executed in the
The official Iranian news agency IRNA reported that one prisoner was executed in the
- FEBRUARY 24, 2013IranDEATH PENALTY
Four people were executed in two different Iranian cities for drug-related charges.
Four people were executed in two different Iranian cities for drug-related charges.
- FEBRUARY 23, 2013IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN REPORTEDLY HANGED AROUND 80 AFGHANS OVER DRUG SMUGGLING
According to reports at least 80 Afghan civilians have been hanged by Iran over drugs and opium smuggling charges.
FEBRUARY 20, 2013IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: THREE PRISONERS HANGED
Three prisoners were hanged in the prison of Dizelabad in Kermanshah (western Iran).
- FEBRUARY 19, 2013ChadDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: CHADIAN EXECUTED FOR DRUG CRIMES
In Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Interior said Abdulkarim Ibrahim Mousa Abkar, a Chadian national, was executed in Makkah after being found guilty of dealing in cocaine for the second time.
FEBRUARY 18, 2013DEATH PENALTYIRAN: 14 PEOPLE HANGED
14 people have been hanged in Iran in the last days.
- FEBRUARY 17, 2013IranDEATH PENALTY
According to the official Iranian news agency IRNA three prisoners were hanged in the prison
According to the official Iranian news agency IRNA three prisoners were hanged in the prison
FEBRUARY 12, 2013IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: TWO PRISONERS HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Two prisoners were hanged in Arak (South of Tehran), reported the Iranian state media.
- FEBRUARY 8, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: DRUGS TRAFFICKER SENTENCED TO DEATH
The High Court in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, sentenced a businessman to death for
- JANUARY 30, 2013IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: FIVE MEN HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Five prisoners were executed in the prison of Kerman (Southeastern Iran) in the morning, reported the state run Iranian media.
- JANUARY 24, 2013IranDEATH PENALTY
one prisoner was hanged in the Shahroud Prison (northern Iran) for drug trafficking.
one prisoner was hanged in the Shahroud Prison (northern Iran) for drug trafficking.