Executions
Archive theme
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
APRIL 12, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: PRISONER WITH MENTAL ILLNESS EXECUTED ON MURDER CHARGES
A prisoner who reportedly suffered from a mental illness was hanged at Tabriz Central Prison on murder charges.
APRIL 11, 2017PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: TWO TERRORISTS HANGED IN SAHIWAL PRISON
Two terrorists were sent to the gallows in High Security Prison Sahiwal in the morning.
APRIL 9, 2017Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: THREE PEOPLE EXECUTED FOR HEROIN SMUGGLING
Saudi Arabia executed three Pakistani nationals convicted of smuggling heroin, bringing the number of executions in the kingdom to 26 this year.
- APRIL 8, 2017SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: PUNTLAND MILITARY COURT EXECUTES 5 SUSPECTS LINKED TO AL SHABAAB
A military court in Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Puntland executed five alleged Al Shabaab members in the Gulf of Aden port city of Bossaso, Garowe Online reports.
- APRIL 8, 2017SyriaDEATH PENALTY
IS, “stoning a young man” in al-Mayadin
8 April 2017: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the “Islamic State” organization stoned a young man to death in the main street of al-Mayadin
APRIL 6, 2017Palestinian TerritoriesDEATH PENALTYGAZA: THREE MEN HANGED FOR COLLABORATING WITH ISRAEL
Gaza’s Hamas rulers hanged three men they accused of collaborating with Israel following calls for revenge for the killing of one of their commanders last month, an AFP journalist reported.
APRIL 5, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: INMATE EXECUTED AFTER SUFFERING HEART ATTACK
- APRIL 3, 2017United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - 21st-century executions disproportionately involve prisoners diagnosed with mental illness
USA - 21st-century executions disproportionately involve prisoners diagnosed with mental illness
APRIL 3, 2017DEATH PENALTYUSA: EXECUTIONS DISPROPORTIONATELY INVOLVE PRISONERS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS
A new study of the case records of the men and women executed in the United States between 2000 and 2015 has found that 21st-century executions disproportionately involve prisoners diagnosed with mental illness and who have experienced traumatic child abu
- MARCH 31, 2017DEATH PENALTY
MORE OHIO DEATH ROW PRISONERS EXONERATED OR REMOVED THAN EXECUTED
The 2016 volume of Attorney General Mike DeWine's "Capital Crimes Annual Report," released on Friday, said there have been 328 death sentences handed down in Ohio since 1981. Less than 20 % of those people have been put to death.
- MARCH 31, 2017OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. New report: More Ohio death row prisoners exonerated or removed than executed.
USA - Ohio. New report: More Ohio death row prisoners exonerated or removed than executed.
- MARCH 30, 2017PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: ANOTHER TERRORIST HANGED IN KOHAT JAIL
Another terrorist, who was involved in committing offences relating to terrorism, including attacks on Bannu jail and law enforcement agencies, was executed at District Jail Kohat.
MARCH 30, 2017SudanDEATH PENALTYSUDAN: DARFUR CRIMES COURT SENTENCES TWO TO DEATH BY HANGING IN EL-GENEINA
Darfur Special Criminal Court sentenced two individuals to death by hanging on charges of killing armed robbery in West Darfur state capital, El-Geneina.
MARCH 30, 2017NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: THREE TO DIE BY HANGING FOR ROBBERY
An Ilorin High Court sentenced three persons to death by hanging for armed robbery and attempt to murder Prof. Abdullahi Onimisi of University of Ilorin.
MARCH 28, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: TWO GET CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN KIDNAP-CUM-MURDER CASE
Terming it as the rarest of the rare case, the judge Rajesh Bhardwaj pronounced the judgement and ordered that the accused Monu alias Chander Prakash and Nitu be hanged till death.
- MARCH 28, 2017TennesseeDEATH PENALTY
USA - Tennessee. Tennessee Supreme Court upholds death penalty.
USA - Tennessee. Tennessee Supreme Court upholds death penalty.
- MARCH 24, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: YOUNG MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR INSULTING THE PROPHET
Iran’s supreme court upheld a death sentence for a young man in Arak, central Iran, after he was found guilty of “insulting the Prophet Muhammad” on the Internet.
- MARCH 23, 2017Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA EXECUTES TWO DRUG DEALERS INCLUDING PAKISTANI NATIONAL
Saudi Arabia executed two convicted drug traffickers bringing the number of prisoners killed in the kingdom to 20 so far this year.
MARCH 20, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: TWO PRISONERS HANGED ON DRUG CHARGES
The death sentences of two prisoners were reportedly carried out at Adel Abad Prison (Lorestan province, western Iran).
MARCH 17, 2017BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS: FIRST DEATH SENTENCE HANDED DOWN IN 2017
32-year-old unnamed resident of Naroulia town was sentenced to death by the Gomel Regional Court on 17 March, the court’s spokesperson Olga Barsukova told the media.
MARCH 16, 2017PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: DEATH ROW CONVICT HANGED IN GUJRANWALA
A death row convict was executed in the Central Jail Gujranwala in the early morning, according to media reports.
MARCH 16, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: UNIDENTIFIED PRISONER HANGED ON DRUG CHARGES
An unidentified prisoner was reportedly hanged at Semnan Prison (northern Iran) on drug related charges.
- MARCH 15, 2017PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: THREE HARDCORE TERRORISTS EXECUTED IN SAHIWAL
Another three hardcore terrorists, who were involved in committing heinous offences relating to terrorism including attacks on Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies, were executed on March 15, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement
- MARCH 15, 2017MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: BROTHERS EXECUTED AT KAJANG PRISON
Brothers Rames and Suthar Batumalai, who were convicted of murder in 2010, were executed at Kajang Prison early the morning, said Amnesty International Malaysia (AIM).
- MARCH 15, 2017AlabamaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Alabama. Vernon Madison Incompetent To Be Executed.
USA - Alabama. Vernon Madison Incompetent To Be Executed.
- MARCH 14, 2017DEATH PENALTY
TEXAS (USA): JAMES EUGENE BIGBY EXECUTED
James Eugene Bigby, 61, White, was executed. A Tarrant County jury sentenced Bigby to death in 1991 for the December 24, 1987 murders of Mike Trekell and his infant son, Jayson, 4-month-old.
- MARCH 14, 2017TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. James Eugene Bigby, 61, White, was executed.
USA - Texas. James Eugene Bigby, 61, White, was executed.
MARCH 14, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: FOUR PRISONERS EXECUTED ON DRUG RELATED CHARGES
Four prisoners were hanged at Darya, Urmia's central prison (West Azerbaijan province, northwestern Iran), on drug related charges, according to the human rights news agency, HRANA.
MARCH 12, 2017IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: THREE PRISONERS HANGED IN ZAHEDAN
According to the Baloch Activists Campaign, three prisoners were hanged at Zahedan Central Prison in Iran's Sistan & Baluchestan province on drug related charges.
- MARCH 11, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: TWO KURDISH CITIZENS EXECUTED IN URMIEH PRISON
According to Kurdpa News agency two Kurdish citizens were executed last week in the back yard of Urmieh central prison.