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
- MARCH 21, 2024DEATH PENALTY
RECORD NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXECUTED FOR DRUG OFFENCES IN 2023
At least 467 people were executed for drug offences in 2023, a new record, according to Harm Reduction International (HRI), an NGO that has been tracking the use of the death penalty for drugs since 2007.
MARCH 11, 2024SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: MAN LOSES APPEAL AGAINST DEATH SENTENCE FOR TRAFFICKING HEROIN
A Singaporean man sentenced to death for trafficking 34.9g of diamorphine or heroin has lost his appeals against his conviction and sentence.
MARCH 11, 2024IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: 5 DRUG DEALERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
An Iraqi court on February 27, 2024 handed down death sentences to five drug dealers, including three foreigners.
MARCH 6, 2024VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TRADING DRUGS, EYEING 50% PROFIT
A court in Nghe An Province has sentenced a man to death and a woman accomplice to 20 years in prison for selling 4.3 kg of drugs.
JANUARY 24, 2024IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 3 men executed in Shiraz on January 24
Fazel Shafiei, Morteza Nadimi + Unk. 63 executions in January
JANUARY 23, 2024PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: DRUG DEALER GETS DEATH PENALTY
Additional District and Sessions Judge (ASJ) Muhammad Tahir Aslam awarded death penalty and imposed Rs100,000 on a drug dealer in Muzaffargarh on January 15, 2024.
JANUARY 23, 2024VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: COURT SENTENCES 9 PEOPLE TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A court in Vietnam on January 22, 2024 sentenced nine people to death after being convicted of involvement in one of the country's largest drug trafficking cases in months, state media reported.
JANUARY 2, 2024DEATH PENALTYIRAN - 3 executions in Ardabil on January 2
JANUARY 1, 2024DEATH PENALTYIRAN - Iran HRM 2023 Annual Report
850 executions
- DECEMBER 20, 2023IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - 6 Unidentified Men Executed in Ardabil on December 20
Drug-related executions have continuously risen every year for the past three years
DECEMBER 20, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Death Sentences Issued for 2,000 People in the Small City of Delfan
- DECEMBER 4, 2023ChinaDEATH PENALTY
PHILIPPINES SAYS CHINA HAS EXECUTED TWO FILIPINOS CONVICTED OF DRUG TRAFFICKING DESPITE APPEALS
China has executed two Filipinos for drug trafficking despite high-level Philippine government appeals to commute their death sentences to life in prison, the Philippine government said December 2, 2023.
NOVEMBER 22, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: APPEAL COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE TO 30 YEARS JAIL FOR DRUG TRAFFICKERS
A former mechanic and a former cosmetician, convicted of two counts of trafficking drugs, had their death sentences commuted to 30 years in prison on November 22, 2023 by the Court of Appeal.
- NOVEMBER 13, 2023VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: 18 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING, INCLUDING FORMER KOREAN POLICEMAN
A former South Korean police officer and 17 other people in Ho Chi Minh City were sentenced to death on November 11, 2023 for trafficking over 216 kg of drugs.
NOVEMBER 8, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 2 unidentified men executed in Bandar Abbas on November 8
OCTOBER 30, 2023IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: 8 IRANIANS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
An Indonesian court on October 27, 2023 ordered that eight Iranian nationals be executed for smuggling more than 700 pounds (300 kg) of crystal methamphetamine by sea into Java.
OCTOBER 2, 2023VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: 4 GET DEATH IN HCMC FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Four people were sentenced to death in HCMC on September 28, 2023 for transporting 12 kg of drugs from Cambodia to Vietnam for sale.
- SEPTEMBER 28, 2023Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
five people sentenced to death for heroin trafficking.
The Colombo High Court on September 27, 2023 sentenced five people to death for heroin trafficking.
SEPTEMBER 28, 2023DEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: 13 PERSONS SENTENCED TO DEATH ON THE SAME DAY
13 persons were sentenced to death in two separate cases on September 27, 2013 in Sri Lanka.
- SEPTEMBER 11, 2023Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA EXECUTES MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE THIS YEAR
The Saudi authorities have executed more than 100 people this year, hitting a new milestone that Amnesty International considers reveals its “chilling disregard for the right to life.”
AUGUST 3, 2023SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: MAN EXECUTED OVER DRUGS IN THIRD HANGING IN WEEK
Singapore executed a 39-year-old man who was convicted of trafficking heroin, the city state’s fifth hanging this year and the third in just over a week, authorities said on August 3, 2023.
AUGUST 1, 2023IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: SUSPECTED DRUG DEALER SENTENCED TO DEATH
An Iraqi court on July 25, 2023 issued the death sentence for a suspected drug dealer, reported state media.
- JULY 28, 2023SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE EXECUTES A WOMAN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 19 YEARS
Singapore conducted its first execution of a woman in 19 years on July 28, 2023 and its second hanging this week for drug trafficking despite calls for the city-state to cease capital punishment for drug-related crimes.
JULY 26, 2023SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: MAN HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING, A WOMAN SET TO BE EXECUTED THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW
Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, a 56-years-old Singaporean Malay man, was hanged on July 26, 2023 at dawn at Changi Prison in Singapore.
JULY 15, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Jahedullah Maaruf (Jahedollah Marouf) executed in Isfahan on July 15
JULY 13, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 3 men executed in Jiroft on July 13
Mehdi Shariati, Rashid Dehmordeh, and “Salarifar”
JULY 9, 2023Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: NIGERIAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A Nigerian national who was found guilty for possession and trafficking 249.19g of Cocaine on July 6, 2023 was sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court.
- JUNE 27, 2023United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UAE: 2 OF 3 PARDONED FILIPINOS SAVED FROM DEATH ROW
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has pardoned three Filipino convicts — two of them on death row for drug trafficking and one with a 15-year sentence for slander, the Palace disclosed on June 23, 2023.
- JUNE 25, 2023VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: THREE TAIWANESE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Three Taiwanese were sentenced to death in Ho Chi Minh City on June 22, 2023 for trafficking some 480 kg of drugs.
- JUNE 20, 2023United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: FOUR ASIANS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
The Grand Criminal Court at the Federal Primary Court in Abu Dhabi issued a unanimous verdict to execute 4 defendants of Asian nationalities after convicting them of charges related to the importation and trafficking of drugs, Emirates 24|7 reported on Ju