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
- DECEMBER 30, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. 8 PEOPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
the People's Court of southern Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, handed down death penalties to eight local people involved in a transnational drug trafficking ring.
- DECEMBER 15, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. THREE SENTENCED TO DEATH IN VIETNAM FOR HEROIN SMUGGLING
three members of a drug smuggling ring were sentenced to death in Vietnam for smuggling heroin and opium into Vietnam from Laos, said Nguyen Van Huy, an officer from the Nghe An provincial people's court.
- DECEMBER 13, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. DEATH SENTENCE GIVEN TO DRUG TRAFFICKER
a court in Vietnam’s northern mountainous province of Son La sentenced Dinh Van Loc to death for trafficking heroin.
- DECEMBER 8, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. COURT SENTENCES WOMAN TO DEATH FOR HEROIN TRAFFICKING
a court in northern Vietnam sentenced Tran Thi Thu Thanh, a 39 year old female, to death for smuggling heroin to neighboring China.
- DECEMBER 7, 2005AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA. BUTT OUT ON DEATH PENALTY: BALI 9 JUDGE
the judges hearing the Bali Nine trials in Indonesia warned Australians not to interfere in Indonesia's right to impose capital punishment, insisting they would not allow their independence to be compromised.
- DECEMBER 2, 2005AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE. SINGAPORE HANGS AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL NGUYEN, THOUSANDS MOURN
Singapore executed Australian national Nguyen Tuong Van just before dawn despite repeated pleas by Australia's government for clemency.
- NOVEMBER 17, 2005TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
LAOS. TWO TAIWANESE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
a Lao court sentenced to death two Taiwanese men for drug trafficking.
- NOVEMBER 15, 2005AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
UNITED NATIONS. UN OFFICIAL URGES SINGAPORE NOT TO EXECUTE AUSTRALIAN
Philip Alston, special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions for the UN Commission on Human Rights, urged the Singapore government not to hang Nguyen Tuong Van, a convicted Australian heroin trafficker, saying the execution violated
- OCTOBER 28, 2005AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
AUSTRALIA. NGUYEN CLEMENCY 'A POLITICAL PROBLEM', MINISTER
Australians have to respect Singapore's decision to execute Van Tuong Nguyen, a Melbourne man convicted of heroin trafficking, federal Human Services Minister Joe Hockey said.
- OCTOBER 28, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. APPEAL COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCES ON VIETNAM'S LARGEST DRUG CASE
an appeal court in the Vietnamese midland province of Phu Tho upheld death sentences to six defendants and life sentences to eight others in Vietnam's largest drug case...
- OCTOBER 26, 2005AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
AUSTRALIA. POLICE DEFEND TIP-OFF THAT LEFT 'BALI NINE' FACING EXECUTION
Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Keelty defended a tip-off to Indonesian authorities that left nine young Australians, the so-called "Bali Nine", facing the death penalty on drugs charges.
- OCTOBER 26, 2005LouisianaDEATH PENALTY
U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan handed down Len Davis' death sentence in Baton Rouge
U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan handed down Len Davis' death sentence in Baton Rouge
- OCTOBER 25, 2005Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islamic law that prescribes the death sentence
Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islamic law that prescribes the death sentence
- OCTOBER 24, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
Offences punishable by death include:
Offences punishable by death include:
- OCTOBER 24, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
A revised Criminal Procedure Law came into force in January 1997.
A revised Criminal Procedure Law came into force in January 1997.
- OCTOBER 23, 2005AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
AUSTRALIA. NO HOPE FOR AUSTRALIAN FACING EXECUTION IN SINGAPORE: PM
Australian Prime Minister John Howard said there was no realistic hope that Nguyen Tuong Van, a 25-year-old Australian drug-runner, could be saved from execution in Singapore.
- OCTOBER 21, 2005Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
SRI LANKA. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR 4.6 GRAMS OF HEROIN
Lakshman Jayaweera, a Sri Lankan man, was sentenced to death following a five-year trial for possessing 4.64 grams of heroin.
- OCTOBER 18, 2005ItalyDEATH PENALTY
THAILAND. ITALIAN COULD FACE ON DRUG CHARGES
an Italian could face execution after being arrested on drug trafficking charges in northern Thailand, police said. Stefano Pelliccia, 50, from Rome, was apprehended on October 18 at a checkpoint in Mae Sai district of the northernmost province Chiang Rai
- OCTOBER 2, 2005KuwaitDEATH PENALTY
KUWAIT. 4 PAKISTANIS HANGED FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
Mohammed Ahmed Khan, 33, Abdul-Basir Abdul Hai Mohammed Ishaq, 50, Faz Mohammed Youseff Khan, 32, and Sayed Mudassar Shah Hekmat, 26, were hanged at a police station in the capital Kuwait City, and the public was later invited to view the strung-up bodies
- SEPTEMBER 29, 2005AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
AUSTRALIA. CANBERRA TO REFUSE TO HELP INDONESIANS CONVICT AUSSIES ON DEATH ROW
Australia will refuse to cooperate with Indonesian authorities prosecuting nine Australians on drugs charges because they had called for the death penalty, Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said.
- SEPTEMBER 27, 2005Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: DEATH SENTENCE NO LONGER MANDATORY FOR DRUG SMUGGLERS
Saudi Arabia redefined its drug trafficking laws, giving discretionary powers to judges and allowing them to hand down jail sentences instead of awarding the death penalty, the Jeddah-based Saudi Gazette reported.
- SEPTEMBER 25, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. CONVICTED DRUG TRAFFICKER HANGED
an Iranian man convicted of drug trafficking was hanged in the northern city of Sari, in Iran’s Mazandaran province, the Kayhan daily reported.
- SEPTEMBER 20, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. TWO DRUG TRAFFICKERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
the People's Court of northern Phu Tho province, Vietnam, sentenced to death two women for trafficking and possessing drugs.
- AUGUST 31, 2005United StatesDEATH PENALTY
UNITED STATES. MAN CAN BE EXTRADITED TO FACE THAI DEATH PENALTY
a US federal appeals court declined to block the extradition to Thailand of Suwit Prasoprat, an American who faced the death penalty there for drug smuggling.
- AUGUST 9, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. THREE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR HEROIN TRAFFICKING, EXECUTED AFTER PASSING OF SENTENCE
in its final trial, the Foshan City Intermediate People's Court in Guangdong Province, China, upheld the original verdict sentencing Guo Jizong, Zhang Fajian and Peng Guowei to death and Li Shaoze and Wang Jiazhang to life imprisonment for drug traffickin
- AUGUST 3, 2005VietnamDEATH PENALTY
five men sentenced to death for drug trafficking, murder and robbery were executed by firing squad
five men sentenced to death for drug trafficking, murder and robbery were executed by firing squad
- JULY 29, 2005AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER APPEALS TO VIETNAM FOR CLEMENCY FOR AUSTRALIANS ON DEATH ROW
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he had appealed to Vietnam for clemency for two Australians facing the death penalty for drug smuggling.
- JULY 28, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
OFFICER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
the Intermediate People's Court of Guigang City, sentenced Huang Jinxiong, a public security officer, and two other defendants, Tang Dazhang and He Shirong, to death after convicting them of drug trafficking.
- JULY 22, 2005NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE. TWO TO HANG ON HEROIN CHARGE
Iwuchukwu Amara Tochi, a 19 year old Nigerian national and Okeke Nelson Malachy, 33, were sentenced to death after a 13-day trial for importing approximately $1.5 million worth of high-grade heroin into Singapore.
- JULY 14, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. GUANGZHOU COURT SENTENCES ONE TO DEATH FOR HEROIN AND ECSTASY TRAFFICKING
it was reported that the Guangzhou City Intermediate People's Court, China, sentenced Chen Qiugeng, a 38-year-old Jiangxi native, to death for trafficking 1.05 kg of heroin and 120 grams of ecstasy pills.