Executions
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An execution is the act by which a state puts a condemned person to death. Hands Off Cain records the cases documented by public sources: press agencies, local newspapers, human rights organisations, official statements. The figure that results is a confirmed minimum, not an estimate of the real total: several states publish no data on executions, and in some countries they are not announced even to the families.
This page collects the news on the executions recorded by the association. The totals by country and by year are in the database.
Latest news
MAY 8, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: TWO PRISONERS HANGED ON MURDER CHARGES
Two prisoners were reportedly hanged on murder charges in the morning at Mashhad Central Prison.
- MAY 7, 2017ArkansasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Arkansas. Judge orders Arkansas to conduct autopsy on executed inmate Kenneth Williams.
USA - Arkansas. Judge orders Arkansas to conduct autopsy on executed inmate Kenneth Williams.
MAY 5, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: YOUNG MAN WALKS FREE FROM DEATH ROW
Salar Shadizadi, who was sentenced to death for a crime he committed when a child, was released after 10 years from Rasht prison in northern Iran.
- MAY 5, 2017United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - "Death Row USA Winter 2017" updated to January 1, 2017.
USA - "Death Row USA Winter 2017" updated to January 1, 2017.
MAY 4, 2017PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: THREE 'HARDCORE TERRORISTS' CONVICTED BY MILITARY COURTS HANGED
Another three "hardcore terrorists" sentenced by military courts were executed in Kohat jail, said a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
- MAY 3, 2017TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Pedro Solis Sosa ineligible for the death penalty because of Intellectual Disability.
USA - Texas. Pedro Solis Sosa ineligible for the death penalty because of Intellectual Disability.
MAY 3, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: PRISON AUTHORITIES EXECUTE SIX PRISONERS
Egyptian prison authorities executed six prisoners, in relation to two separate cases.
- MAY 3, 2017TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Former Prosecutor on Trial on Charges that His Misconduct Led to Wrongful Execution of Cameron Willingham.
USA - Texas. Former Prosecutor on Trial on Charges that His Misconduct Led to Wrongful Execution of Cameron Willingham.
MAY 2, 2017SomaliaDEATH PENALTYPUNTLAND: BOYS EXECUTED FOR ALLEGED TERRORISM
Puntland is under criticism following the execution of some children suspected to be members of the Al-Shabaab terror group.
APRIL 30, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: PRISONER HANGED ON MURDER CHARGES
A prisoner was reportedly executed at Hamadan Central Prison on murder charges, and another prisoner was returned to his cell after his execution was temporarily halted.
- APRIL 28, 2017UtahDEATH PENALTY
USA - Utah. Firing squads to be used in 3 upcoming executions.
USA - Utah. Firing squads to be used in 3 upcoming executions.
- APRIL 27, 2017ZambiaDEATH PENALTY
ZAMBIA HAS 168 MEN AND 2 WOMEN ON DEATH ROW
The Zambia Correctional Services says it has 170 inmates on death row.
- APRIL 27, 2017DEATH PENALTY
ARKANSAS (USA): KENNETH WILLIAMS EXECUTED
Kenneth Williams, 38, Black, was executed with a lethal injection that left the prisoner lurching and convulsing 20 times before he died.
- APRIL 27, 2017ArkansasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Arkansas. Kenneth Williams was executed with a lethal injection that left the prisoner convulsing 20 times before he died.
USA - Arkansas. Kenneth Williams was executed with a lethal injection that left the prisoner convulsing 20 times before he died.
APRIL 25, 2017PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: FOUR TTP TERRORISTS SENTENCED BY MILITARY COURTS HANGED
Four terrorists, who were involved in committing heinous offences relating to terrorism were executed at a jail in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to an ISPR press release.
- APRIL 24, 2017DEATH PENALTY
ARKANSAS (USA): MARCEL WILLIAMS EXECUTED
Two inmates received lethal injections on the same gurney Monday night about three hours apart. The second was Marcel Williams, 46, Black.
- APRIL 24, 2017DEATH PENALTY
ARKANSAS (USA): JACK JONES EXECUTED
Two inmates received lethal injections on the same gurney Monday night about three hours apart. The first was Jack Jones, 52, White.
- APRIL 24, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN TRIES TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY FOR TRAFFICKING AS IT WRESTLES WITH RISING DRUG CHARGES
Iranian parliament’s Judicial Commission spokesperson has announced that this commission has agreed with a proposal to reduce death penalty to 30 years in prison for a number of drug-related offences.
- APRIL 24, 2017ArkansasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Arkansas. Two inmates received lethal injections about three hours apart. The second was Marcel Williams
USA - Arkansas. Two inmates received lethal injections about three hours apart. The second was Marcel Williams
APRIL 24, 2017SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: FOUR MILITANTS EXECUTED BY FIRING SQUAD IN BAIDOA CITY
Somali military court executed four suspects linked to Al- Shabaab for carrying out blasts in the town of Baidoa, the administrative capital of Southwest last year.
- APRIL 24, 2017ArkansasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Arkansas. Two inmates received lethal injections Monday night about three hours apart. The first was Jack Jones
USA - Arkansas. Two inmates received lethal injections Monday night about three hours apart. The first was Jack Jones
APRIL 22, 2017SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: MILITARY COURT EXECUTES POLICE OFFICER FOR KILLING CIVILIAN
Somali Military Court executed a police officer in Mogadishu for killing a civilian last year, Somaliupdate reports.
APRIL 22, 2017ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: MAN EXECUTED FOR KILLING TWO YOUNG WOMEN, RAPING CORPSE
China’s Supreme People's Court (SPC) announced that a criminal convicted intentional homicide had been executed after the SPC approved the death sentence.
- APRIL 21, 2017SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE: MAN HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Mohd Jeefrey bin Ismail was hanged in the early hours, at least according to the scheduled execution date given to his family by the Singapore Prison Service.
- APRIL 20, 2017DEATH PENALTY
ARKANSAS (USA): LEDELL LEE WAS EXECUTED, THE FIRST IN THE STATE SINCE 2005
Arkansas overcame a flurry of court challenges Thursday that derailed three other executions, putting to death an inmate for the first time in nearly a dozen years as part of a plan that would have been the country's most ambitious since the death penalty
- APRIL 20, 2017ArkansasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Arkansas. Ledell Lee was Executed
USA - Arkansas. Ledell Lee was Executed
- APRIL 19, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: SEVEN PRISONERS EXECUTED AT RAJAI SHAHR PRISON
- APRIL 18, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: THREE PRISONERS HANGED IN SHIRAZ AND TABRIZ
Three inmates were executed in the prisons of Shiraz and Tabriz.
- APRIL 13, 2017BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: MUFTI HANNAN, 2 OTHERS HANGED
The government hanged radical Islamist leader Mufti Mohammad Abdul Hannan, for his role in kick-starting militancy on Bangladesh’s soil.
APRIL 13, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: MAN WHO KILLED SIX IN SHOOTING SPREE PUBLICLY HANGED IN ARAK
A man convicted of murdering six people in a shooting spree was publicly executed in Iran, according to the Tasnim news agency.