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
- AUGUST 12, 2002Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
The beheading of an Indian national, convicted of smuggling...
The beheading of an Indian national, convicted of smuggling heroin into Saudi Arabia, at a public place in al Khobar highlights the need for creating awareness among job seekers from being exploited as drug carriers
- AUGUST 11, 2002Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Mohammed Ali Haji, an Indian national convicted of...
Mohammed Ali Haji, an Indian national convicted of smuggling heroin into Saudi Arabia, was beheaded in Al Khobar, the Saudi news agency (SPA) said
- AUGUST 11, 2002IndiaDEATH PENALTY
Mohammed Ali Haji, an Indian national convicted of...
Mohammed Ali Haji, an Indian national convicted of smuggling heroin into Saudi Arabia, was beheaded in Al Khobar, the Saudi news agency (SPA) said
- AUGUST 8, 2002AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
Singapore has promised Australia it will not hang a...
Singapore has promised Australia it will not hang a British businessman if he is extradited to the city state and convicted of a grisly double murder
- AUGUST 8, 2002SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
Singapore has promised Australia it will not hang a...
Singapore has promised Australia it will not hang a British businessman if he is extradited to the city state and convicted of a grisly double murder
- AUGUST 6, 2002NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
Nigerians Johnson Oshodi, Tunde Apatira, Oladotun Lukmanu...
Nigerians Johnson Oshodi, Tunde Apatira, Oladotun Lukmanu Umaru and a Chinese national from Hong Kong, Chu Tak Fai, appealed to the Malaysia Federal Court for a revision of their death sentences following a decision by the Court of Appeal acquitting mecha
- AUGUST 6, 2002MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
Nigerians Johnson Oshodi, Tunde Apatira, Oladotun Lukmanu...
Nigerians Johnson Oshodi, Tunde Apatira, Oladotun Lukmanu Umaru and a Chinese national from Hong Kong, Chu Tak Fai, appealed to the Malaysia Federal Court for a revision of their death sentences following a decision by the Court of Appeal acquitting mecha
- AUGUST 6, 2002ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Nigerians Johnson Oshodi, Tunde Apatira, Oladotun Lukmanu...
Nigerians Johnson Oshodi, Tunde Apatira, Oladotun Lukmanu Umaru and a Chinese national from Hong Kong, Chu Tak Fai, appealed to the Malaysia Federal Court for a revision of their death sentences following a decision by the Court of Appeal acquitting mecha
- JUNE 27, 2002MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
Three Nigerians sentenced to death in Malaysia for...
Three Nigerians sentenced to death in Malaysia for dadah trafficking in 1995 are seeking to revise the decision of the Federal Court affirming their penalty
- JUNE 27, 2002NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
Three Nigerians sentenced to death in Malaysia for...
Three Nigerians sentenced to death in Malaysia for dadah trafficking in 1995 are seeking to revise the decision of the Federal Court affirming their penalty
- JUNE 27, 2002ChinaDEATH PENALTY
China marked UN anti-drug day by executing 64 people...
China marked UN anti-drug day by executing 64 people accused of drug crimes
- JUNE 26, 2002ChinaDEATH PENALTY
China launched a nationwide crackdown on drug traffickers...
China launched a nationwide crackdown on drug traffickers and users ahead of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
- JUNE 26, 2002ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Courts in Shaanxi Province sentenced eight alleged...
Courts in Shaanxi Province sentenced eight alleged drug criminals to death, four suspects to death with reprieve, eight suspects to life and 51 suspects to terms of imprisonment, the Shaanxi Daily reported
- JUNE 26, 2002ChinaDEATH PENALTY
The Provincial Higher People's Court in Sichuan Province...
The Provincial Higher People's Court in Sichuan Province approved the death sentences of alleged criminals, Xiao Jianbo (5135 1696 3134), Hu Zunxiu (5706 1415 4423) and Zhang Liqin (1728 4539 0530), the Sichuan Daily reported
- JUNE 26, 2002ChinaDEATH PENALTY
At an open rally in Qiongshan city, in Hainan Province,...
At an open rally in Qiongshan city, in Hainan Province, alleged drug dealers Li Zhenkun (2621 6966 0981) and Zhuang Yaoxing (8369 5069 5281) were escorted to the execution ground, the Hainan Daily reported
- JUNE 25, 2002ChinaDEATH PENALTY
June 25/26 2002: Beijing Number One and Number Two...
June 25/26 2002: Beijing Number One and Number Two Intermediate People's Courts separately executed six alleged drug criminals including Xu Chunming (1776 2504 2494), Chen Baohua (7115 1405 5478), Ma Jiyuan (7456 4949 0337), Li Bangcai (2621 6721 2088), W
- JUNE 25, 2002ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Judicial organs in Hengyang, Hunan Province, executed...
Judicial organs in Hengyang, Hunan Province, executed 21 drug traffickers, smugglers, murderers and robbers, the Hunan Daily reported
- JUNE 25, 2002ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Three alleged drug criminals, including Wang Shiguo...
Three alleged drug criminals, including Wang Shiguo (3769 0013 0948), Li Ping (2621 1627) and Hu Rujun (5706 1172 0193) were executed in Shanghai for drug smuggling and trafficking, the Jiefang Daily reported
- JUNE 24, 2002ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Four men were sentenced to death by South China's Shenzhen...
Four men were sentenced to death by South China's Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court
- JUNE 23, 2002ChinaDEATH PENALTY
In its final trial, railway transport courts in Chengdu,...
In its final trial, railway transport courts in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, and Guiyang, Guizhou Province, sentenced five alleged drug traffickers, including Liu Quanyu (0491 0356 3768), Yang Fen (2799 5358), female, Zhang Xiaohui (1728 1420 2585), Ma Lian
- JUNE 22, 2002ChinaDEATH PENALTY
A barber from Hong Kong whose death sentence for dadah...
A barber from Hong Kong whose death sentence for dadah trafficking was upheld by the Federal Court of Malaysia, last year is seeking a review of his conviction because the chemist who analysed the dadah sample had failed to state its actual weight
- JUNE 22, 2002MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
A barber from Hong Kong whose death sentence for dadah...
A barber from Hong Kong whose death sentence for dadah trafficking was upheld by the Federal Court last year is seeking a review of his conviction because the chemist who analysed the dadah sample had failed to state its actual weight
- JUNE 21, 2002GermanyDEATH PENALTY
A young German woman was sentenced to five years in...
A young German woman was sentenced to five years in a Singapore jail after pleading guilty to three drug charges
- JUNE 21, 2002SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
A young German woman was sentenced to five years in...
A young German woman was sentenced to five years in a Singapore jail after pleading guilty to three drug charges
- JUNE 20, 2002ChinaDEATH PENALTY
From 20 to 25 June 2002, courts in Jiangsu Province...
From 20 to 25 June 2002, courts in Jiangsu Province tried 119 alleged drug dealers, and sentenced seven to death, the Xinhua Daily reported
- JUNE 13, 2002VietnamDEATH PENALTY
Ly A Va and Va A Say, to two ethnic men in northern...
Ly A Va and Va A Say, to two ethnic men in northern mountainous Lai Chau province, were sentenced to death for murder and drug trafficking
- JUNE 1, 2002ChinaDEATH PENALTY
With the approval of the Supreme People's Court, in...
With the approval of the Supreme People's Court, in its second trial, the Provincial Higher People's Court in Hunan Province executed seven criminals, the Xinhua Daily Telegraph reported
- MAY 27, 2002AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
Australia held inaugural talks with Vietnam on human...
Australia held inaugural talks with Vietnam on human rights and raised concerns about the treatment of dissidents and Australians facing possible death sentences in Vietnam
- MAY 27, 2002VietnamDEATH PENALTY
Australia held inaugural talks with Vietnam on human...
Australia held inaugural talks with Vietnam on human rights and raised concerns about the treatment of dissidents and Australians facing possible death sentences in Vietnam
- MAY 22, 2002PhilippinesDEATH PENALTY
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is set to sign a...
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is set to sign a tough anti-drug law that would make the possession of a mere 10 grams (0