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
OCTOBER 4, 2010MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: DUO SENTENCED TO HANG FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Judge Normala Salim of the Penang High Court in Malaysia sentenced friends welder
- OCTOBER 3, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: THREE MEN, WOMAN HANGED
three men and a woman were hanged recently in Iran, iranian media reported.
- SEPTEMBER 22, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
a person was hanged in Aran-Bigdel (province of Isfahan, Central Iran) for drug trafficking
a person was hanged in Aran-Bigdel (province of Isfahan, Central Iran) for drug trafficking
SEPTEMBER 22, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: TWO PEOPLE HANGED IN KERMAN AND ISFAHAN
Two people were hanged in Kerman (southeast of Iran) and Aran-Bigdel (province
- SEPTEMBER 20, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
Two men were hanged in the Karoun prison of Ahvaz, southwest of Iran this
Two men were hanged in the Karoun prison of Ahvaz, southwest of Iran this
SEPTEMBER 20, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: THREE PEOPLE HANGED IN YAZD
Three people were hanged in the morning in the prison of Yazd, central Iran, reported the state run Iranian news agency ISNA.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: THREE PEOPLE HANGED IN AHVAZ
Three men were hanged in the Karoun prison of Ahvaz, southwest of Iran this morning, reported the state run Iranian news agency Fars.
SEPTEMBER 14, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: MAN HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
One person was hanged in the prison of Shirvan, northeastern Iran, in the morning, reported the official website of the Iranian judiciary in North Khorasan.
- SEPTEMBER 5, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: FOUR SENTENCED TO DEATH IN NORTHWEST FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
four unidentified major importers of precursors of opiates were sentenced to death
- AUGUST 29, 2010MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: MINISTER AGAINST DEATH PENALTY
A senior Malaysian minister reportedly urged the government to abolish the death
AUGUST 29, 2010United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTYUNITED ARAB EMIRATES: DEATH SENTENCE FOR HEROIN SMUGGLER
in the United Arab Emirates, Afghan national MK, 22, was sentenced to death
- AUGUST 17, 2010SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE: MAN LOSES APPEAL FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Tan Chin Hock, 44, lost the appeal against his death sentence for possessing more than 64g of heroin in his flat in March 2008.
- AUGUST 13, 2010UgandaDEATH PENALTY
UGANDA: TWENTY UGANDANS AWAIT DEATH IN CHINA OVER DRUGS
the number of Ugandans sentenced to death in China for trafficking illegal drugs has risen to 20, Ambassador Charles Madibo Wagidoso said.
- AUGUST 7, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
FIVE PEOPLE EXECUTED IN IRAN
five people were hanged in the Karoun prison of Ahvaz early in the morning, reported the state run Iranian news agency FARS.
- AUGUST 3, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN SENTENCES NINE PEOPLE ACCUSED OF DRUG SMUGGLING
nine people accused of drug smuggling were sentenced to death in Iran's Kirman Province, Mehr news agency quoted Kirman City Revolutionary Court head Dadkhuda Salari as saying.
- JULY 31, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN HANGS TWO FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Iran hanged two men convicted of drug trafficking in the central city of Isfahan, Iran, the hardline Kayhan newspaper reported. Behnam J., 22, was found guilty of possessing 1.6 kgs of heroin, and Shahram A., arrested with 166 grams of heroin
JULY 26, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: THREE PEOPLE HANGED IN THE PRISON OF AHVAZ
Three people were hanged in the Karoun prison of Ahvaz (southwestern Iranian province of
- JULY 20, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: ANOTHER HANGED FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
according to Iskanews, a person identified as A.A was hanged in Ahvaz, Iran
JULY 18, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: FOUR MEN EXECUTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
four people were hanged in Iran for drug trafficking, in two different cases.
- JULY 18, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: MAN HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
One person was hanged in the prison of Shirvan, northeast of Iran, reported the state run Iranian news agency Fars.
- JULY 16, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: FIVE MEN HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
According to the Kurdish news agency "Mokarian" five men were hanged in the
JUNE 29, 2010YemenDEATH PENALTYYEMEN: EIGHT SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
a Yemeni court sentenced five Yemeni nationals, a Kenyan, a Somalian and a Tanzanian
JUNE 23, 2010ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: PAIR EXECUTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
two men convicted of selling and trafficking 12,242 grams of heroin to Taiwan were executed
JUNE 23, 2010ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA EXECUTES DEALERS AHEAD OF INT'L ANTI-DRUG DAY
six men were executed in southeast China's Fujian Province ahead of the International
- JUNE 10, 2010SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE DEATH ROW CASE: KL URGED TO ACT
a Singapore lawyer who represented a Malaysian sentenced to hang in Singapore for drug trafficking urged the Malaysian government to intervene and take the case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
- JUNE 8, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
a man was hanged in Iran for drug trafficking, Iranian government’s newspaper ‘Iran’ reported.
a man was hanged in Iran for drug trafficking, Iranian government’s newspaper ‘Iran’ reported.
JUNE 8, 2010United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTYUAE: FIVE FOREIGNERS SENTENCED TO DEATH ON DRUGS CHARGES
in the United Arab Emirates, an Abu Dhabi court sentenced five foreigners to death in two separate
- JUNE 8, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: FIVE PEOPLE EXECUTED FOR RAPE, DRUG TRAFFICKING
the Iranian government’s newspaper ‘Iran’ reported five people were hanged. The report didn’t say where the executions took place, but it is believed that they took place in Tehran.
- JUNE 7, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: 13 PEOPLE HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
According to reliable sources 13 people were hanged in the morning in the prison of Ghezel Hesar, Tehran, Iran Human Rights reported.
- JUNE 1, 2010MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
shop assistant Ahmad Saad Hazmin, 25, from Pasir Mas, was sentenced to death