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
JULY 16, 2015ZambiaDEATH PENALTYZAMBIA: KILLER FATHER TO HANG
The Lusaka High Court sentenced a man of Chibombo district to death for killing his two children using a pesticide on grounds that he was disturbed by the dissolution of his marriage.
JULY 15, 2015IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: PRISONER HANGED IN PUBLIC DURING RAMADAN
Official sources in Iran have reported on the public execution of a prisoner in Mahvelat County. The
- JULY 14, 2015DEATH PENALTY
MISSOURI (USA): DAVID ZINK EXECUTED
David Zink, 55, White, has been executed.
- JULY 14, 2015MissouriDEATH PENALTY
USA - Missouri. David Zink, 55, White, was executed.
USA - Missouri. David Zink, 55, White, was executed.
JULY 14, 2015BelizeDEATH PENALTYBELIZE: LAST MAN ON DEATH ROW HAS SENTENCE QUASHED
Glenford Baptist, 44, has a new lease on life after being told this morning that his sentence of death by hanging will be commuted.
- JULY 13, 2015United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UAE: WOMAN EXECUTED FOR KILLING AMERICAN TEACHER
The United Arab Emirates executed by firing squad a UAE woman convicted of terrorism early today after
JULY 12, 2015North KoreaDEATH PENALTYNORTH KOREA: MEDIA CONFIRMS DEFENCE MINISTER EXECUTION
South Korea says North Korea has officially confirmed the purging of its defence chief two months after
JULY 7, 2015North KoreaDEATH PENALTYNORTH KOREA: FARM MANAGER EXECUTED FOR DEATHS OF DOZEN BABY TURTLES
Daily NK, an online newspaper focusing on issues relating to North Korea, said the manager of a terrapin farm had been executed after Kim Jong-un made his field guidance tour in May to the farm near Taedong River in Pyongyang.
JULY 7, 2015KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: MUSLIM CONVERT TO HANG FOR MASS MURDER
A former Mungiki member who converted to Islam and trained with Al Shabaab has been sentenced to
JULY 7, 2015GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: MAN, 59, SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING FOR KILLING GIRLFRIEND
A 59-year-old man who, out of jealousy, murdered his girlfriend at Atwima Techiman was sentenced to
- JULY 2, 2015IranDEATH PENALTY
EUROPEAN STATES CONTINUE TO FUND DRUG HANGINGS AS IRAN EXECUTIONS SPIKE
New analysis released today by NGO Iran Human Rights shows that over two thirds of the 570 people so far executed in Iran this year were sentenced to death on drugs charges.
- JULY 2, 2015ZambiaDEATH PENALTY
ZAMBIA: MUMBWA POLYGAMIST SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING SECOND WIFE
In Zambia, the Kabwe High Court sentenced to death a 34-year-old polygamist of Mumbwa who strangled
- JUNE 30, 2015IraqDEATH PENALTY
SYRIA: ISLAMIC STATE BEHEADS FOUR FOR SORCERY, INCLUDING TWO WOMEN
Islamic State (IS) has beheaded two women in eastern Syria, the first time the jihadist group has
JUNE 25, 2015JapanDEATH PENALTYJAPAN: MURDERER CONVICT EXECUTED, GOVERNMENT ABE’S TWELFTH EXECUTION
Japan executed a man who robbed and killed a woman after plotting the crime with accomplices he met online.
JUNE 24, 2015ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: THREE DRUG SMUGGLERS EXECUTED
three people were executed in the largest drug case to be heard in Liaoning Province.
JUNE 22, 2015United NationsDEATH PENALTYUN: ISLAMIC STATE COMMITTING ATROCITIES ON 'AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE'
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in counter-terrorism, Ben Emmerson, says people
- JUNE 18, 2015DEATH PENALTY
TEXAS (USA): GREGORY RUSSEAU EXECUTED
Gregory Russeau, 45, Black, was executed for the May 2001 fatal beating of James Syvertson, 75, White, while on a crack binge.
- JUNE 18, 2015TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Gregory Russeau, 45, Black, was executed
USA - Texas. Gregory Russeau, 45, Black, was executed
- JUNE 18, 2015IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MAN AWARDED CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR RAPING EIGHT-YEAR-OLD GIRL
A lower court in Ashta Tehsil near Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, awarded capital punishment to a man for raping a minor eight-year-old girl.
- JUNE 17, 2015South SudanDEATH PENALTY
a man was executed at Wau prison without the knowledge of his close family members. Dok Maker Mabor
a man was executed at Wau prison without the knowledge of his close family members. Dok Maker Mabor
JUNE 17, 2015PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: TEN OTHER CONVICTED OF MURDER HANGED IN VARIOUS CITIES
Another ten murder convicts were executed between 16 and 17 June in five different prisons of the country, raising the total number of executions to at least 181 since Pakistan reversed the self-imposed moratorium on the death penalty in December 2014 aft
- JUNE 17, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - "Death Row, USA Spring 2015" Illustrates Continuing Decline of Death Penalty.
USA - "Death Row, USA Spring 2015" Illustrates Continuing Decline of Death Penalty.
JUNE 16, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYIRAN: DRUG SMUGGLER HANGED IN PUBLIC
one man charged of drug smuggling was hanged in public in the city of Sari, Iran’s Mehr news agency
JUNE 16, 2015PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: NINE MORE DEATH ROW PRISONERS HANGED IN VARIOUS CITIES
another nine murder convicts were hanged in different cities of Punjab, raising the total number of executions to at least 171 since Pakistan reversed the self-imposed moratorium on the death penalty in December 2014 after the Taliban school massacre.
JUNE 16, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: TWO MURDERERS BEHEADED
Saudi Arabia beheaded two of its citizens for murder, taking to 102 the number of executions in the kingdom this year.
- JUNE 16, 2015IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: 25 PRISONERS WERE HANGED IN GOHARDASHT PRISON, KARAJ, WEST OF TEHRAN
According to reports from inside Iran, 25 prisoners were collectively executed in Gohardash (Rajai Shahr)
- JUNE 16, 2015BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: HIGHEST COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE OF TOP ISLAMIST
Bangladesh`s highest court upheld the death sentence against the country`s second highest ranked Islamist
JUNE 15, 2015PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: ANOTHER DEATH ROW CONVICT HANGED IN MULTAN JAIL
A double murder convict was hanged in Multan’s central jail, days ahead of a one-month moratorium imposed on executions in the fasting month of Ramadan.
- JUNE 15, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: BEHEADED 100TH PERSON THIS YEAR
Saudi Arabia beheaded a Syrian drug trafficker and a national convicted of murder, taking to 100 the number of executions in the kingdom this year.
- JUNE 15, 2015North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
NORTH KOREA: HYON YONG CHOL'S EXECUTION OFFICIALLY CONFIRMED
South Korean media reported that North Korea had dispatched official bulletins announcing the execution