The death penalty and juveniles
Archive theme
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
NOVEMBER 3, 2015PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: TEEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING MINOR
Pakistan anti-terrorism court has awarded death penalty to a teenager and life imprisonment to two others for brutally murdering a minor after sexually assaulting him.
- OCTOBER 13, 2015IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: JUVENILE OFFENDER FATEMEH SALBEHI HANGED
Iranian authorities have executed the juvenile offender Fatemeh Salbehi, according to Iran Human Rights' sources.
- OCTOBER 6, 2015IranDEATH PENALTY
a juvenile offender, Samad Zahabi, was secretly hanged for a murder he allegedly committed at 17,
a juvenile offender, Samad Zahabi, was secretly hanged for a murder he allegedly committed at 17,
OCTOBER 6, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: SECOND JUVENILE TO FACE ‘BEHEADING’ FOR PROTESTS
A second juvenile is facing beheading in Saudi Arabia after a court upheld his conviction for a role in
SEPTEMBER 29, 2015PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: TWO MURDER CONVICTS, INCLUDING A JUVENILE OFFENDER, EXECUTED IN PUNJAB
At least two murder convicts, including a juvenile offender, were executed in Punjab.
- SEPTEMBER 22, 2015Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA MUST IMMEDIATELY HALT EXECUTION OF CHILDREN – UN RIGHTS EXPERTS URGE
A group of United Nations human rights experts urged the Government of Saudi Arabia to halt the
AUGUST 3, 2015BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: SUPREME COURT COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY OF CHILD RAPIST
In a rare instance, the Supreme Court commuted a “teenage boy's” death sentence to jail until death for
JUNE 10, 2015PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: THREE MURDER CONVICTS, INCLUDING A JUVENILE OFFENDER, HANGED IN LAHORE AND FAISALABAD
three more murder convicts, including a juvenile offender, were sent to the gallows in Lahore and Faisalabad.
FEBRUARY 20, 2015IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: JUVENILE OFFENDER SAMAN NASEEM WAS EXECUTED
The Kurdish political prisoner Saman Naseem who was sentenced to death for offences he allegedly
- JANUARY 8, 2015PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: TWO DEATH ROW PRISONERS SAVED FROM GALLOWS
between 6 and 8 January, Pakistan stopped the execution of two death row inmates scheduled to be
SEPTEMBER 30, 2014ThailandDEATH PENALTYTHAILAND: MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR TRAIN RAPE, MURDER
A former railway worker in Thailand was sentenced to death for raping a 13-year-old girl on an overnight
- AUGUST 7, 2014IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: AT LEAST NINE PRISONERS EXECUTED IN RASHT AND ZAHEDAN, INCLUDING A JUVENILE OFFENDER HANGED ALONG WITH HIS MOTHER
MAY 6, 2014IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: AFGHAN JUVENILE EXECUTED FOR DRUG-RELATED CHARGES
According to reports by sources in Afghanistan a juvenile offender has recently been executed in Iran. The Dari section of Radio Liberty (Radio Azadi), reported that a 15 year old Afghan boy identified as Jannat Mir was among the six Afghan citizens who w
APRIL 23, 2014NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: SHARIA COURT SENTENCES MAN TO BE STONED FOR RAPING AND INFECTING A MINOR
an Islamic court in Kano State sentenced a man to be stoned to death for raping a 12-year-old student,
- APRIL 20, 2014IranDEATH PENALTY
another juvenile offender was hanged in the Vakilabad prison of Mashhad, Iran Human Rights reported.
another juvenile offender was hanged in the Vakilabad prison of Mashhad, Iran Human Rights reported.
MARCH 4, 2014DEATH PENALTYIRAN: 26-YEAR-OLD WOMAN, JUVENILE WERE HANGED
Farzaneh (Razieh) Moradi, a 26 year old woman convicted of murdering her husband six years earlier, was hanged in the prison of Isfahan, Iran.
- FEBRUARY 25, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE, JAILS RAPIST FOR 35 YEARS
The Supreme Court commuted the death sentence of a man convicted for raping a minor girl who later died
- MARCH 20, 2013OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. A jury recommended the death penalty for Richard Beasley, 53, white
USA - Ohio. A jury recommended the death penalty for Richard Beasley, 53, white
MARCH 9, 2013YemenDEATH PENALTYYEMEN: MINOR PUT TO DEATH FOR MURDER
Mohammed Haza'a was put to death by the Yemeni government despite legitimate questions as to whether he was under the age of 18 when he committed an alleged murder.
FEBRUARY 5, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: DEATH SENTENCE FOR 32-YR-OLD FOR RAPING, KILLING MINOR
A lower court in Mandla, India, awarded death sentence to a 32-year-old man for raping and
- JULY 30, 2012ZimbabweDEATH PENALTY
ZIMBABWE: SUPREME COURT QUASHES YOUTHFUL KILLER'S DEATH SENTENCE
In Zimbabwe, a convicted murderer had his death sentence quashed by the Supreme Court
JULY 15, 2012IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: JUVENILE OFFENDER, NOW 43, ORDERED TO BE SET FREE
A 43-year-old man, who has been in jail in India for the past 13 years in a murder case, has
- FEBRUARY 12, 2012IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN SCRAPS STONING, CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR MINORS
Iranian news agencies reported that Iran's Guardian Council, a powerful body of clerics
- NOVEMBER 21, 2011IranDEATH PENALTY
the Iranian High Court approved the death penalty imposed
the Iranian High Court approved the death penalty imposed
- SEPTEMBER 23, 2011IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: UN EXPERTS CONDEMN PUBLIC EXECUTION OF JUVENILE
according to a statement by the UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, four
SEPTEMBER 21, 2011IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: MINOR HANGED IN PUBLIC IN KARAJ
17-year-old Alireza Mollasoltani was publically hanged in Karaj (west of Tehran) early this morning.
SEPTEMBER 18, 2011IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: 22 PRISONERS HANGED
According to the Iranian government daily "Iran", 22 prisoners were hanged in the prisons of Evin (Tehran) and Rajaei Shahr (Karaj, west of Tehran) for drug-related crimes.
- SEPTEMBER 25, 2010DEATH PENALTY
IRAN: JUVENILE OFFENDER EXECUTED
According to the reports from Iran a minor offender identified as Mohammad was hanged on July 10th 2010 in the Marvdasht prison of Shiraz.
- JULY 21, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
EXECUTION OF JUVENILE OFFENDER OVERTURNED IN IRAN
Ali Mahitorabi, an Iranian juvenile offender accused of murder, was released after the court commuted the charge to manslaughter and blood money was paid.
- JULY 10, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
According to the reports from Iran a minor offender identified as Mohammad was hanged in the Marvdasht
According to the reports from Iran a minor offender identified as Mohammad was hanged in the Marvdasht