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
JUNE 12, 2023VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: 10 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
The People's Court of the northwestern province of Son La handed out 10 death penalties and one life sentence to members of a drug trafficking ring during trials from June 1-5.
MAY 8, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Hossein Shahrouzi executed in Shiraz on May 8
APRIL 30, 2023SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: DEATH PENALTY COMMUTED OR HEROIN DEALER
The Singapore Court of Appeal changed the death sentence of a heroin dealer to 10 years in prison on April 26, 2023, the same day that Singaporean Indian man Tangaraju Suppiah was executed for allegedly abetting in the trafficking of 1kg of marijuana (can
APRIL 26, 2023SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: MAN HANGED FOR TRAFFICKING 1KG OF CANNABIS
Singapore on April 26, 2023 hanged 46-year-old Indian-origin Tangaraju Suppiah who was found guilty in 2018 of trafficking more than 1kg (2.2 pounds) of cannabis, despite last-minute appeals for clemency from his family and activists.
APRIL 17, 2023IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: PRESIDENT GRANTS ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ CLEMENCY TO DEATH ROW DRUG CONVICT
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has granted clemency to a woman who spent more than 20 years on death row for drug smuggling, the convict’s lawyer said on 14 April, 2023.
- APRIL 2, 2023North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
NORTH KOREAN EXECUTIONS AND TORTURE ALLEGED IN NEW REPORT
North Korea executes people for sharing South Korean media, religious activities and drugs as the country stifles its citizens’ human rights and freedom, according to a report published on 30 March 2023 by South Korea.
- MARCH 20, 2023IranDEATH PENALTY
THE DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG OFFENCES: GLOBAL OVERVIEW 2022 (HARM REDUCTION INTERNATIONAL)
As of December 2022, Harm Reduction International (HRI) recorded at least 285 executions for drug offences globally during the year, a 118% increase from 2021, and an 850% increase from 2020.
MARCH 15, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: DRUG DEALER SENTENCED TO DEATH BY SIBU HIGH COURT
A drug dealer on 13 March 2023 was sentenced to death by Sibu High Court.
- MARCH 14, 2023Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: JORDANIAN MAN EXECUTED AFTER ALLEGEDLY GIVING FORCED CONFESSION
Saudi Arabia has executed a Jordanian man whose family say he was tortured into confessing to drugs charges, BBC reported on 13 March 2023.
MARCH 11, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - 4 men executed in Khorramabad on March 11
Zafar Hadipour, Nader Ebrahimpour, Younes Koulemrazi + Unk.
FEBRUARY 28, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Maziar Soltanzadeh and Mohammad Safari executed in Karaj on February 28
FEBRUARY 5, 2023Palestinian TerritoriesDEATH PENALTYGAZA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
The Supreme Criminal Chamber of the Court of First Instance in Gaza on 30 January 2023 sentenced a 30-year-old man to death by hanging, following his conviction for possession and trafficking of narcotics to Israel.
JANUARY 17, 2023IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Kamel Dodkanlou and Farhad Hosseini executed in Salmas on January 17
JANUARY 9, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: 3 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
The High Court of Shah Alam, Malaysia, on 4 January 2023 sentenced three men to death after finding them guilty of trafficking a total of 585.1gm of drugs into the country four years ago.
DECEMBER 27, 2022VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: HANOI WOMAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
The People’s Court in Ho Chi Minh City has sentenced a woman from Hanoi to death for trafficking 9.9 kilograms of heroin.
DECEMBER 21, 2022PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ABOLISHES DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG DEALERS
The National Assembly on 20 December 2022 approved “The Control of Narcotics Substance (Amendment) Bill, 2022,” abolishing death sentence for illicit trafficking of narcotics and psychotropic drugs.
- DECEMBER 7, 2022VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: 3 MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TRANSPORTING 3KG OF METH
A court in the central Quang Tri Province sentenced three men to death on 29 November 2022 for sending three kilograms of methamphetamine through an express delivery company.
NOVEMBER 23, 2022Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: 17 EXECUTED FOR DRUG-RELATED OFFENCES
Since 10 November 2022, Saudi Arabia has executed 17 men for what were termed drug and contraband offences, with three taking place on 21 November.
NOVEMBER 21, 2022Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SMUGGLING DRUGS
A Saudi national has been sentenced to death for smuggling banned amphetamine tablets near the country’s northern border with Jordan, the Saudi Press Agency reported on 20 November 2022 citing the Ministry of Interior.
- NOVEMBER 12, 2022IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Three Men Executed in Shiraz on November 12
Vahid Pakzad, Keyvan Tajadod and an unidentified man
- NOVEMBER 8, 2022IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Five prisoners executed in Arak prison
Saeed Moghadam, Sajjad Yousefi, Nasser, Reza, and Nasser Iranshahi
NOVEMBER 7, 2022SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: INDIAN-ORIGIN MAN ACQUITTED AFTER GETTING DEATH PENALTY VIA ZOOM
A 39-year-old Indian-origin Malaysian who was sentenced to death via Zoom for drug trafficking in May 2020 was on 31 October 2022 acquitted by Singapore's Court of Appeal, saying the prosecution did not prove its case.
OCTOBER 27, 2022SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR HEROIN TRAFFICKING
A 31-year-old man who was found with 25 packets of heroin in his bedroom in November 2018 was given the mandatory death penalty on 27 October 2022 for drug trafficking.
OCTOBER 22, 2022IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Three Baloch prisoners executed on 22 October
Mohammad Zarakzahi in Zabol, and Juma Gumshadzahi and Habil Shahnawazi in Zahedan
OCTOBER 19, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: PARALYSED MECHANIC ESCAPES DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A mechanic who became paralysed from the waist down while in prison has escaped the gallows for drug trafficking committed in Malaysia three years ago, Free Malaysia Today reported on 19 October 2022.
- OCTOBER 4, 2022SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE: DRUG TRAFFICKER GETS DEATH PENALTY AFTER COURT REJECTS CLAIM THAT MOST OF HEROIN FOUND WAS GIRLFRIEND'S
A 49-year-old man has been sentenced to death in Singapore for heroin trafficking after the High Court rejected his contention that the majority of the drugs found in his apartment belonged to his 26-year-old girlfriend, The Straits Times reported on Octo
OCTOBER 2, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: EX-BIRD’S NEST SELLER FREED OF DEATH SENTENCE
A former bird’s nest seller has been freed of the death penalty as the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya set aside his conviction and sentence on two drug trafficking charges, Free Malaysia Today reported on 30 September 2022.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: GOVERNMENT TO INTRODUCE ALTERNATIVES TO DEATH PENALTY
The Malaysian government has decided to replace the mandatory death penalty with other types of punishment for a number of offences, said the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar on 14 September 2022.
- SEPTEMBER 8, 2022VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: TWO RECEIVE DEATH FOR THROWING DRUG-FUELED PARTIES AT HANOI MENTAL HOSPITAL
Two people in Hanoi were sentenced to death on 31 August 2022 after throwing drug-related parties and selling/storing narcotics inside a mental hospital.
- SEPTEMBER 6, 2022VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: 7 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR NARCOTIC TRANSPORTATION
The People’s Court in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap on 3 August 2022 sentenced seven people to death for illegally transporting over 45 kilograms of narcotics in 2020.