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
NOVEMBER 2, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: ABDOLHAMID RIGI EXECUTED IN ZAHEDAN
According to the Iranian Police news center, a member of the militant group "Jondollah", identified as Abdolhamid Rigi, was hanged in the prison of Zahedan.
OCTOBER 28, 2009MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: 2 SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER DRUG TRAFFICKING
Two men were sentenced to death by the Kuantan High Court in Malaysia after they were found guilty of
- OCTOBER 27, 2009ZambiaDEATH PENALTY
ZAMBIA: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDER
in Zambia, Lusaka High Court judge Christine Phiri sentenced Joe Songiso to death by hanging for
- OCTOBER 27, 2009DEATH PENALTY
TEXAS (USA): REGINALD BLANTON PUT TO DEATH
Reginald Blanton was executed this evening in Texas.
- OCTOBER 27, 2009TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Reginald Blanton, 28, black, was executed
USA - Texas. Reginald Blanton, 28, black, was executed
OCTOBER 27, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION OF EXECUTION OF TIBETANS IN LHASA
Two people have been executed in China for their involvement in deadly riots in Tibet last year, the Chinese
- OCTOBER 26, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA. MAN EXECUTED FOR MURDER
a man was beheaded by the sword in Saudi Arabia, after being sentenced to death for shooting a relative during a dispute, the interior ministry said.
- OCTOBER 25, 2009SomaliaDEATH PENALTY
SOMALIA: ISLAMIST REBELS EXECUTE TWO FOR ‘SPYING’
Somalia's Al Shabaab Islamist movement publicly executed two young men by firing squad for alleged spying for the Somali government in the southern town of Marka. An official from the group told crowds who gathered to watch the punishment that the men had
- OCTOBER 23, 2009OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. The state can't find medical professionals willing to advise it on new lethal injection protocols
USA - Ohio. The state can't find medical professionals willing to advise it on new lethal injection protocols
OCTOBER 21, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: FIVE PEOPLE EXECUTED IN TEHRAN
one woman and four men were executed in Tehran’s Evin prison early the morning.
- OCTOBER 20, 2009ItalyDEATH PENALTY
ITALY-BELARUS: RADICALS- DEATH SENTENCE TEST CASE OF THE ‘GOOD RELATIONS’ BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES
together with other elected Radical parliamentarians from the Democratic Party list, Elisabetta Zamparutti presented an urgent parliamentary question to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs regarding the case of Vasil Yuzepchuk.
- OCTOBER 20, 2009DEATH PENALTY
USA - Georgia. Mark Howard McClain was executed
USA - Georgia. Mark Howard McClain was executed
OCTOBER 20, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: NINE UIGHURS EXECUTED
exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer said she had learnt that "out of the 11 Uighurs who were sentenced to
OCTOBER 20, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: FOUR TIBETANS EXECUTED IN LHASA OVER 2008 UNREST
as many as four Tibetans were executed for their alleged involvement in the 2008 anti-China unrest in the
- OCTOBER 15, 2009GambiaDEATH PENALTY
GAMBIA TO PUSH AHEAD WITH EXECUTIONS
Gambia will execute convicts sentenced to death for murder that have exhausted all appeals, director of
- OCTOBER 14, 2009South CarolinaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH CAROLINA (USA): BOARD PARDONS 2 BLACK MEN EXECUTED 94 YEARS AGO
Tom Joyner gets justice for electrocuted kin, 94 years later. Radio host gets pardon for his great-uncles
- OCTOBER 13, 2009BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS: PRESIDENT DENIES PARDON
Belarusian president Aleksander Lukashenko refused to pardon death row inmate Vasily Yusepchuk,
OCTOBER 13, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: MAN EXECUTED FOR TRAFFICKING 48 KG OF DRUGS
Lu Fuguo was executed for drug trafficking in south China's Guangdong Province, the Dongguan Municipal
- OCTOBER 12, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: TWO WOMEN AND FOUR MEN EXECUTED IN KHUZESTAN PROVINCE
Six people have been executed in the southwest Iranian Khuzestan during the last week, reported the Iranian daily newspaper Kayhan quoting the state run news agency Fars.
- OCTOBER 12, 2009South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA: 920 EXECUTED SINCE 1948
Rep. Park Min-shik of the governing Grand National Party in South Korea said 920 condemned criminals were put to death from 1949 to 1997.
- OCTOBER 11, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MINOR OFFENDER BEHNOUD SHOJAEE EXECUTED IN TEHRAN
the minor offender Behnoud Shojaee was executed at 5 in the morning at Tehran's Evin Prison. He was convicted of murdering another boy by the name Omid in June 2005, when he was 17 years old.
- OCTOBER 8, 2009AlabamaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Alabama. Max Landon Payne was executed
USA - Alabama. Max Landon Payne was executed
OCTOBER 7, 2009Palestinian TerritoriesDEATH PENALTYGAZA: MILITARY COURT ISSUES DEATH SENTENCE
the Permanent Military Court in Gaza, Palestine, headed by Judge Ayman 'Imad al-Din, sentenced Saleem
- OCTOBER 5, 2009DEATH PENALTY
OHIO (USA): GOVERNOR STRICKLAND DELAYS TWO MORE EXECUTIONS
Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has delayed the executions of two inmates, hours after a federal appeals court
- OCTOBER 5, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: MAN HANGED FOR ADULTERY AND HOMOSEXUALITY
a man was hanged for adultery and homosexuality, human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei reported.
- SEPTEMBER 30, 2009TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Governor Replaces Members of Commission Examining Possible Wrongful Execution
USA - Texas. Governor Replaces Members of Commission Examining Possible Wrongful Execution
- SEPTEMBER 28, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: FIVE HANGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Five people were hanged in the prison of Taybad, north-east of Iran reported the official news site of the Iranian police.
SEPTEMBER 28, 2009SomaliaDEATH PENALTYSOMALIA: ISLAMISTS EXECUTE TWO FOR SPYING
Somalia's hardline Shebab Islamists publicly executed two people accused of spying for the US Central
- SEPTEMBER 24, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: WOMAN HANGED FOR MURDER
One woman was hanged in the prison of Sarakhs, north-east Iran, reported the state run Iranian news
- SEPTEMBER 22, 2009TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Christopher Coleman, 37, black, was executed.
USA - Texas. Christopher Coleman, 37, black, was executed.