The death penalty and juveniles
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The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child prohibit the death penalty for crimes committed before the age of eighteen. It is one of the clearest prohibitions in international law, and yet sentences and executions continue to be documented against people who were minors at the time of the offence, often in proceedings where the age itself is disputed.
This page collects the news on those cases.
Latest news
JANUARY 11, 2021IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE, MURDER
The District and Sessions Court of Haveri, in Karnataka, sentenced a man to death under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act on 7 January 2021, after finding him guilty of raping and murdering a minor girl in 2018.
DECEMBER 31, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - The United Nations condemns the execution of Mohammad Hassan Rezaiee.
IRAN - The United Nations condemns the execution of Mohammad Hassan Rezaiee.
OCTOBER 22, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: JUVENILE OFFENDERS WILL NOT FACE DEATH PENALTY, SAYS SAUDI HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
Saudi Arabia’s Human Rights Commission (HRC) has reiterated that juvenile offenders will not face the death penalty in kingdom, Gulf News reported on 22 October 2020.
OCTOBER 12, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Iran must halt execution of Barzan Nasrollahzadeh, a Kurdish arrested as juvenile.
IRAN - Iran must halt execution of Barzan Nasrollahzadeh, a Kurdish arrested as juvenile.
OCTOBER 10, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - IHR: 209 Executions Since Start of 2020 in Iran.
IRAN - IHR: 209 Executions Since Start of 2020 in Iran.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Movid Savari, probably a child offender, was executed in Sepidar Prison on September 20.
IRAN - Movid Savari, probably a child offender, was executed in Sepidar Prison on September 20.
JULY 30, 2020South SudanDEATH PENALTYSOUTH SUDAN: MINOR REMOVED FROM DEATH ROW
Magai Matiop Ngong on 29 July 2020 was removed from death row following the South Sudan Court of Appeal’s decision on 14 July to quash the death sentence imposed on him because he was a child at the time of the crime.
JULY 23, 2020EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: THREE DEFENDANTS SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER ABDUCTION, RAPE OF A MINOR
Egypt’s Qena Criminal Court, headed by Counselor Othman Mohamedin, on 21 July 2020 sentenced to death three defendants over the abduction, rape and attempted murder of a young 17-year old woman.
JULY 8, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: BENGAL’S SERIAL KILLER SENTENCED TO DEATH IN RAPE AND MURDER CASE
A 38-year-old man was sentenced to death on 6 July 2020 in a rape and murder case by a district court in south Bengal’s East Burdwan district, police said.
JUNE 17, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Ali Arjangi, who was under 18 at the time of the crime, may be executed shortly.
IRAN - Ali Arjangi, who was under 18 at the time of the crime, may be executed shortly.
JUNE 9, 2020PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: DEATH SENTENCE IN JUVENILE CASE COMMUTED
A Pakistani court on 8 June 2020 commuted the death sentence for a defendant who has spent the last 18 years on death row for a crime he was convicted of committing when he was a juvenile, a local advocacy group said.
- MAY 7, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - More information on Majid Esmaeilzadeh, the juvenile offender executed on April 18, 2020
IRAN - More information on Majid Esmaeilzadeh, the juvenile offender executed on April 18, 2020
APRIL 23, 2020DEATH PENALTYIRAN: POSSIBLE JUVENILE OFFENDER HANGED FOR MURDER
Majid Esmaeilzadeh was hanged on the morning of 18 April 2020 at the central prison of Ardabil.
- APRIL 23, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Sina Mohammadi, a minor at the time of the murder, was hanged at Sanandaj prison on April 23
IRAN - Sina Mohammadi, a minor at the time of the murder, was hanged at Sanandaj prison on April 23
APRIL 22, 2020DEATH PENALTYIRAN: JUVENILE OFFENDER SHAYAN SAEEDPOUR EXECUTED
Juvenile offender Shayan Saeedpour was hanged on 21 April 2020 at the prison of Saqqez city, Kurdistan province.
- APRIL 22, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Onu blasts executions of child offenders
IRAN - Onu blasts executions of child offenders
- APRIL 21, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Juvenile offender Shayan Saeedpour was executed this morning, April 21, at the prison of Saqqez city
IRAN - Juvenile offender Shayan Saeedpour was executed this morning, April 21, at the prison of Saqqez city
- APRIL 18, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Majid Esmaeilzadeh, a minor at the time of the crime, was hanged on April 18 at the central prison of Ardabil.
IRAN - Majid Esmaeilzadeh, a minor at the time of the crime, was hanged on April 18 at the central prison of Ardabil.
APRIL 7, 2020DEATH PENALTYIRAN: DEATH ROW JUVENILE OFFENDER BEATEN TO DEATH BY PRISON GUARDS
Death row juvenile offender Danial Zeinolabedini was beaten to death by prison guards.
- APRIL 2, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Dozens Killed In Iran Prison Riots.
IRAN - Dozens Killed In Iran Prison Riots.
- MARCH 6, 2020DEATH PENALTY
IRAN: MAN HANGED FOR MURDER COMMITTED WHEN HE WAS MINOR
According to Iran Human Rights sources, death-row prisoner Amir Mohammadpour (Mahmoud Pour) was hanged on 1st March 2020 at Urmia Central Prison (also known as Darya prison).
- FEBRUARY 27, 2020AlabamaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Alabama. Gregory Renard Wynn resentenced to life in prison without parole
USA - Alabama. Gregory Renard Wynn resentenced to life in prison without parole
JANUARY 13, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE, MURDER OF MINOR IN UP
A special POCSO court in Bareilly, in the indian State of Uttar Pradesh, on 9 January 2020 sentenced to death the two accused of rape and murder of a minor in January 2016.
- JANUARY 1, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - The execution of a juvenile offender was postponed for a month.
IRAN - The execution of a juvenile offender was postponed for a month.
DECEMBER 9, 2019IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Fatemeh R., a woman and a minor, was hanged in Raja’i Shahr Prison of Karaj.
IRAN - Fatemeh R., a woman and a minor, was hanged in Raja’i Shahr Prison of Karaj.
- NOVEMBER 17, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - A man, identified only as "J.", probably a minor, was executed at Vakilabad prison on November 17, 2019.
IRAN - A man, identified only as "J.", probably a minor, was executed at Vakilabad prison on November 17, 2019.
- OCTOBER 29, 2019DEATH PENALTY
IRAN EXECUTED YOUNG MAN SENTENCED AS JUVENILE
Authorities in the central prison of Karaj on 25 October 2019 executed a prisoner for a murder he allegedly committed when he was 16.
OCTOBER 2, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: COURT AWARDS DEATH PENALTY TO THREE FOR KILLING MINOR
Bokaro district court in the Indian state of Jharkhand on 26 September 2019 awarded death sentence to three persons for killing a minor in November 2013. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 1.50 lakh on each of them.
- AUGUST 5, 2019DEATH PENALTY
IRAN: PRISONER EXECUTED FOR MURDER COMMITTED WHEN HE WAS UNDER THE AGE OF 18
Hamid Avesti was executed in the central prison of Kermanshah on 4 August 2019.
- AUGUST 4, 2019IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Hamid Avesti was executed in the prison of Kermanshah on Aug. 4. He was a minor.
IRAN - Hamid Avesti was executed in the prison of Kermanshah on Aug. 4. He was a minor.