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
DECEMBER 24, 2016PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: FIRST CONVICT HANGED AFTER THREE MONTHS
A 70-year-old death-row convict was hanged in Rawalpindi’ Adiala jail after a span of 20 years.
DECEMBER 22, 2016IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: PRISONER EXECUTED IN PUBLIC
A prisoner was hanged in public in the city of Ilam, Western Iran, on rape charges
DECEMBER 19, 2016Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: SAUDI NATIONAL EXECUTED FOR MURDERING COMPATRIOT
Saudi national Majid bin Abdulla bin Humood Al-Otaibi was executed in Riyadh for murdering a compatriot after a heated argument.
DECEMBER 19, 2016IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: YASIN BHATKAL, 4 OTHERS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR 2013 HYDERABAD BLASTS
An NIA court sentenced to death banned terror outfit Indian Mujahideen founder Yasin Bhatkal and four
DECEMBER 17, 2016IraqDEATH PENALTYIRAQ: ISIS EXECUTES TEENAGER IN KIRKUK ON CHARGES OF SPYING
The ISIS terrorist group has executed an Iraqi teenager in southern Kirkuk, after accusing him of spying for the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, local sources reported.
DECEMBER 15, 2016EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: PROMINENT ISLAMIST MILITANT HABARA EXECUTED AMID THREATS OF RETALIATION
Egypt executed prominent Islamist fighter Adel Habara, state media said, days after a top court rejected his final appeal and in defiance of militant threats to ignite "a volcano of jihad" across the country.
DECEMBER 15, 2016IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: FOUR PRISONERS EXECUTED IN KARAJ CENTRAL PRISON
Iranian regime executed four prisoners in Karaj Central Prison, west of Tehran, on drug related charges, reports indicate.
DECEMBER 15, 2016IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: PRISONER EXECUTED ON DRUG RELATED CHARGES
A prisoner sentenced to death on drug related charges was reportedly executed at Bandar Abbas Central Prison (Hormozgan province, southern Iran), according to close sources.
DECEMBER 14, 2016IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: ONE PRISONER HANGED FOR DRUG CHARGES
The website of the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported about the execution of one
- DECEMBER 13, 2016United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Michael Dukakis endorses campaign to exonerate Ethel Rosenberg, executed in 1953.
USA - Michael Dukakis endorses campaign to exonerate Ethel Rosenberg, executed in 1953.
DECEMBER 13, 2016DEATH PENALTYUSA: EX-GOVERNOR MICHAEL DUKAKIS ENDORSES CAMPAIGN TO EXONERATE ETHEL ROSENBERG, EXECUTED IN 1953
More than 60 years after the execution of alleged spy Ethel Rosenberg, a former governor of Massachusetts has endorsed a campaign to exonerate her.
- DECEMBER 11, 2016IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: TEN PRISONERS HANGED ON THE SAME DAY
Ten prisoners were reportedly hanged at Rajai Shahr Prison (Alborz province, northern Iran) on murder charges.
- DECEMBER 8, 2016DEATH PENALTY
ALABAMA (USA): RONALD BERT SMITH EXECUTED
Ronald Bert Smith, 45, White, was executed.
- DECEMBER 8, 2016AlabamaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Alabama. Ronald Bert Smith was executed. The execution lasted 34 minutes
USA - Alabama. Ronald Bert Smith was executed. The execution lasted 34 minutes
DECEMBER 7, 2016IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: TWO PRISONERS EXECUTED
A prisoner was reportedly hanged at Dizel Abad Prison (Kermanshah province, western Iran) on
- DECEMBER 6, 2016DEATH PENALTY
GEORGIA (USA): WILLIAM SALLIE EXECUTED
William Sallie, 50, White, has been executed by lethal injection at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison.
- DECEMBER 6, 2016DEATH PENALTY
USA - Georgia. William Sallie, 50, White, has been executed
USA - Georgia. William Sallie, 50, White, has been executed
DECEMBER 2, 2016ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: WRONGLY EXECUTED MAN ACQUITTED BY TOP COURT
Nie Shubin, who was executed 21 years ago for rape and murder, had his conviction overturned by China's top court.
- NOVEMBER 30, 2016BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS: THREE EXECUTIONS FEARED IN AS MANY WEEKS AMID ‘SUDDEN AND SHAMEFUL PURGE’ OF DEATH ROW
As many as three of the four men on death row in the Belarusian capital Minsk have been executed in a shameful purge since 5 November, Amnesty International revealed today after confirming with local activists.
- NOVEMBER 30, 2016Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: TWO YEMENI NATIONALS EXECUTED FOR KILLING SAUDI MAN
two Yemeni expatriates were executed for murdering Mohammed bin Mohammed bin Ali Osaimi Hakmi in the province of Jazan.
NOVEMBER 28, 2016BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS: ANOTHER CONVICT EXECUTED – HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS
Death convict Ivan Kulesh has been executed, Andrei Paluda, a coordinator of the campaign Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus, reports.
- NOVEMBER 28, 2016NebraskaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Nebraska. The Department of Correctional Services has proposed revisions to the state's execution protocol
USA - Nebraska. The Department of Correctional Services has proposed revisions to the state's execution protocol
- NOVEMBER 26, 2016IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: MAN HANGED ON DRUG CHARGES, TWO EXECUTED FOR MURDER
Three prisoners were executed in three different cities between 22 and 26 November 2016.
NOVEMBER 24, 2016IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: FIVE HANGED ON DRUG RELATED CHARGES
Iranian authorities executed five prisoners on drug related charges.
NOVEMBER 24, 2016PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: MURDER OF THREE HANGED TO DEATH
A Daska-based murder convict was hanged to death in the Sialkot district jail. According to the Sialkot
NOVEMBER 23, 2016PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: DEATH SENTENCES FOR KILLERS OF CHRISTIAN COUPLE
A Pakistani anti-terror court sentenced five people to death over the killing of a Christian couple who were lynched and burned in a kiln after being falsely accused of blasphemy.
NOVEMBER 23, 2016IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: FOUR HANGED IN PUBLIC
Four men were publicly hanged in the Persian Gulf Island of Qeshm, according to the local "qeshmeazad" news website.
NOVEMBER 22, 2016BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: TWO TO WALK GALLOWS FOR DOUBLE MURDER
Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-4 sentenced two people to death for killing a woman and her domestic help in the city’s Jatrabari area in 2015.
NOVEMBER 22, 2016NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: TRADITIONAL RULER’S SON, TWO SIBLINGS SENTENCED TO DEATH
For being found guilty of murder, son of a traditional ruler in Mafoluku
- NOVEMBER 18, 2016Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: SAUDI WOMAN EXECUTED FOR KILLING HUSBAND
The Ministry of Interior executed Saudi national Munira bint Zuweid Al-Hadhli for killing her husband, in the city of Mecca.