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
- JULY 15, 2008MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
Goh Eng Uit was acquitted by the Malaysian High Court...
Goh Eng Uit was acquitted by the Malaysian High Court of a drug trafficking charge after seven years in remand
- JULY 11, 2008VietnamDEATH PENALTY
a Vietnamese court sentenced two Taiwanese...
a Vietnamese court sentenced two Taiwanese...
JULY 11, 2008ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA EXECUTES 10 FOR MURDER, ROBBERY AND DRUGS
ten people were executed in central China for murder, robbery and drug trafficking, state
JULY 5, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN EXECUTES MAN FOR DRUG SMUGGLING IN SOUTHEASTERN PROVINCE
a man was put to death in south eastern Iran after being found guilty of drug
- JULY 3, 2008MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
a husband and wife were given mandatory...
a husband and wife were given mandatory...
- JULY 2, 2008VietnamDEATH PENALTY
Australia urged Vietnam to spare two Australians...
Australia urged Vietnam to spare two Australians...
JUNE 26, 2008NigeriaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA. TWO NIGERIANS EXECUTED FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
two Nigerians were executed in Indonesia for drug trafficking, officials said. Samuel Okoye,
JUNE 26, 2008ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA. SIX EXECUTED FOR DRUG RELATED CRIMES
six people were executed in Yunnan and Henan provinces, and the Guangxi Zhua
JUNE 25, 2008ItalyDEATH PENALTYDRUGS. RADICALS AND ASSOCIATIONS, DEATH PENALTY EXISTS FOR POSSESSION
the Italian Radicals, the Forum Droghe Association and dozens of non profit organisations and unions
- JUNE 23, 2008MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. COOK GETS DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
a 59-year-old cook was sentenced to death by a HighCourt in Malaysia after he was
JUNE 9, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. MAN HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Iran hanged a man convicted of drug trafficking in the northeastern province of North
- JUNE 2, 2008ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: TWO INDIANS FACE DEATH IN CHINA FOR SMUGGLING DRUGS
two Indian Tamils, one a native of Thanjavur and the other from Ramanathapuram, were sentenced to death by a Chinese court for narcotics smuggling.
- MAY 30, 2008VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM SENTENCES OFFICIAL TO DEATH FOR STEALING DRUGS
a court in north-western Vietnam sentenced a law enforcement official and his cousin to death for stealing 10.7 kgs of drugs from a police...
- MAY 28, 2008MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: SENTENCED TO DEATH TWICE FOR TRAFFICKING
in what is believed to be one of the oldest cases in the court system, Siew Yoke Keong, a 40 year old welder, was sentenced to death for drug trafficking after being held in remand for 11 years in Malaysia.
MAY 6, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA. DEATH SENTENCE FOR BAHRAINI COMMUTED
in Saudi Arabia, the death sentence of Bahraini national Maki Ali Abbas, 46, was commuted
- MAY 5, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
Iran has hanged nine drug traffickers, reports said.
Iran has hanged nine drug traffickers, reports said.
- APRIL 30, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. TWO HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Iran hanged two men convicted of drug trafficking in a prison in the central city
APRIL 27, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN. TWO HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
two men were hanged for drug trafficking in the main prison of Qom, Iran. The prisoners were identified only as Mahmood, 47, and Ghodrat, 56.
APRIL 25, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI BEHEADS PAKISTANIS, SYRIAN FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
two Pakistanis and a Syrian convicted of smuggling drugs were beheaded by the
- APRIL 18, 2008SyriaDEATH PENALTY
two Syrian men convicted of drug trafficking were beheaded by the sword in
two Syrian men convicted of drug trafficking were beheaded by the sword in
APRIL 17, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA EXECUTES JORDANIAN FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
the Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry says a Jordanian man was beheaded after
- APRIL 15, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA. MAN EXECUTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
The Saudi Interior Ministry says a Saudi man has been beheaded after being
- APRIL 14, 2008DEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA. FOUR BEHEADED FOR MURDER, DRUG TRAFFICKING
Four death row prisoners have been executed in Saudi Arabia, the authorities announced.
- APRIL 13, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
two Nigerians convicted of drug trafficking were beheaded by the sword in Saudi
two Nigerians convicted of drug trafficking were beheaded by the sword in Saudi
- APRIL 11, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
the Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry announced that authorities beheaded a Saudi
the Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry announced that authorities beheaded a Saudi
- APRIL 10, 2008PakistanDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA. PAKISTANI BEHEADED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Moazzam Khan, a Pakistan national who was convicted in a drug trafficking case
MARCH 18, 2008VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM. AUSTRALIAN WOMAN FACES FIRING SQUAD
an Australian woman of Vietnamese origin lost her court appeal and will face a
- MARCH 9, 2008VietnamDEATH PENALTY
a court in northern Vietnam sentenced four people to death and seven others...
a court in northern Vietnam sentenced four people to death and seven others...
- FEBRUARY 26, 2008IndiaDEATH PENALTY
the Ahmedabad District and Sessions Court in India sentenced a person to death
the Ahmedabad District and Sessions Court in India sentenced a person to death
FEBRUARY 4, 2008IraqDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA. THREE FOREIGNERS BEHEADED
Saudi Arabia beheaded an Indian, an Iraqi and a Pakistani after they were