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
- APRIL 20, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. AFGHAN PRISONER HANGED IN CENTRAL IRAN
an Afghan man was hanged in central Iran in the early hours of the day, Iran’s official news agency reported.
- APRIL 19, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. DEATH SENTENCE UPHELD FOR AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL
an appeals court in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, upheld a death sentence for Trinh Huu, an Australian man of Vietnamese origin convicted of heroin trafficking.
- APRIL 17, 2006VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. COURT SENTENCES MAN TO DEATH OVER DRUGS
the People's Court in the central Nghe An Province, Vietnam, sentenced to death Tran Van Hoi for trading and trafficking heroin from Laos to Vietnam.
- APRIL 13, 2006KuwaitDEATH PENALTY
KUWAIT. COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE FOR PAKISTANI ACCUSED OF HEROIN SMUGGLING
Kuwait’s Court of Appeals commuted into life imprisonment the death sentence issued against Fadhl H., a Pakistani man charged with smuggling heroin into the country.
- APRIL 12, 2006VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
the Nghe An People’s Court, central Vietnam, sentenced Tran Van Hoi, 34, to death for drug trafficking.
- MARCH 14, 2006ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. SIX MEMBERS OF DRUG RING SENTENCED TO DEATH IN GUIZHOU PROVINCE
four cardinal members of a notorious drug ring that was accused of trafficking 21 kilograms of heroin have been sentenced to death at first trial in southwest China's Guizhou Province.
- MARCH 7, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. COURT REINSTATES DEATH SENTENCE ON MAN FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Abdul Manap Mohamad Hassan, 51, had his hopes for freedom dashed when the Federal Court in Malaysia reinstated the death sentence on him for trafficking in 62.09 grams of heroin in March 1996.
- FEBRUARY 27, 2006VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. LAOS MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
the Quang Ninh provincial first instance court, Vietnam, sentenced to death Xom Phon, a 30-year-old Laotian, for trafficking over 70 cakes of heroin and 4,000 tablets of Methamphetamine from Lao to northern Quang Ninh province late in 2005.
- FEBRUARY 22, 2006ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. TWO TAIWANESE EXECUTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
two Taiwanese nationals convicted of drug trafficking were executed in southern China's Guangdong province after being convicted of possessing 12 kilograms (26.4 pounds) of the methamphetamine ice.
- FEBRUARY 20, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA. BALI NINE APPEAL AGAINST DEATH SENTENCES
Andrew Chan, 22, and Myuran Sukumaran, 24, sentenced to death for trafficking heroin in the Indonesian resort island of Bali and seven others given life imprisonment for their involvement in the smuggling ring filed appeals in the Indonesian justice syste
- FEBRUARY 20, 2006NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE. APPEALS COURT REJECTS APPLICATION TO OVERTURN DEATH SENTENCE OF 2 MEN
the Singapore Appeals Court rejected the application of two men to have their death sentence overturned.
- FEBRUARY 19, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
AUSTRALIA. AFP UNDER FIRE OVER VIETNAM DRUG ARREST
Australian Federal Police were facing fresh controversy over their policy of giving information to foreign police in cases that could end in the death penalty.
- FEBRUARY 18, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. PRESIDENT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCES OF TWO AUSTRALIANS
Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong commuted the death sentences imposed on two convicted Australian heroin traffickers to life imprisonment, Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.
- FEBRUARY 15, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA. LAST AUSTRALIANS JAILED FOR LIFE IN BALI DRUG TRIAL
three Australians were jailed for life for their roles in a heroin smuggling ring on Indonesia's Bali island, the last in a series of tough verdicts against a group of nine young Australians.
- FEBRUARY 14, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA. TWO AUSTRALIANS SENTENCED TO DEATH IN BALI DRUGS TRIAL
an Indonesian court sentenced two young Australian men to die by firing squad for attempting to smuggle heroin from the resort island of Bali, verdicts that could strain ties with Canberra.
- FEBRUARY 14, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. COURT AMENDS CHARGE, MAN ESCAPES THE GALLOWS
Shafie Ghani, a stall owner sentenced to death for drug trafficking, escaped the gallows in Malaysia after the Court of Appeal amended the charge against him.
- JANUARY 20, 2006VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. FIVE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SMUGGLING DRUGS INTO VIETNAM
a court in Hanoi sentenced five people to death and four others to life imprisonment for trafficking 24 kg of heroin into Vietnam from Laos.
- JANUARY 17, 2006VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. FOUR DRUG TRAFFICKERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
the Bac Giang People's Court, Vietnam, handed out death sentences to Than Nhan Lam, 37, Than Nhan Sang, 28, Do Van Hoa, 37, and Nguyen Quang Thang, 37, on charges of drug trafficking.
- JANUARY 16, 2006VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. FIVE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
a Vietnamese court sentenced five people including a woman to death for trafficking drugs, a court official said.
- JANUARY 13, 2006SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE. LAW SOCIETY TO GIVE DEATH PENALTY A FAIR AIRING
it was reported that an eight-man Law Society committee would study judicial and death penalty systems in countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Hong Kong and India and compare it with Singapore's in order to prepare a report to be submi
- JANUARY 13, 2006SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE. LAWYER TRIES TO SAVE DRUG CONVICTS ON DEATH ROW
M. Ravi, a Singapore lawyer and human rights activist, said he planned to campaign against the execution of two convicted heroin traffickers.
- JANUARY 1, 2006BruneiDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty is mandatory for murder, unlawful possession of firearms and explosives
The death penalty is mandatory for murder, unlawful possession of firearms and explosives
- JANUARY 1, 2006LaosDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty in Laos is applied in cases of treason, murder and rape
The death penalty in Laos is applied in cases of treason, murder and rape
- JANUARY 1, 2006SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
Capital crimes are: murder, treason, offences against the President, illegal possession of arms, kidnapping and causing an innocent person to be executed by bearing false witness.
Capital crimes are: murder, treason, offences against the President, illegal possession of arms, kidnapping and causing an innocent person to be executed by bearing false witness.
- JANUARY 1, 2006ChinaDEATH PENALTY
A revised Criminal Procedure Law came into force in January 1997
A revised Criminal Procedure Law came into force in January 1997
- JANUARY 1, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
Offences punishable by death include:
Offences punishable by death include:
- JANUARY 1, 2006PakistanDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty is imposed for several crimes...
The death penalty is imposed for several crimes...
- JANUARY 1, 2006Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islamic law that prescribes the death sentence for murder...
Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islamic law that prescribes the death sentence for murder, apostasy, rape, drug trafficking, highway robbery, sabotage and armed robbery.
- JANUARY 1, 2006IraqDEATH PENALTY
On April 9, 2003 Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime was overthrown by a US-led military coalition.
On April 9, 2003 Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime was overthrown by a US-led military coalition.
- JANUARY 1, 2006VietnamDEATH PENALTY
Vietnam applies the death penalty for 29 different crimes.
Vietnam applies the death penalty for 29 different crimes.