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
- MAY 12, 2010DEATH PENALTY
TEXAS (USA): MAN EXECUTED FOR 1998 KILLING
The state of Texas executed by lethal injection a 41-year-old man convicted in
MARCH 22, 2010IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: AFGHANI MINOR ON DEATH ROW
it was reported that Jandarshah Nabizada, 16, from Afghanistan's northern Takhar Province
DECEMBER 17, 2009IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: THE MINOR OFFENDER MOSLEH ZAMANI AND FOUR OTHERS WERE EXECUTED
According to unofficial sources from Iran, Mosleh Zamani (20) was hanged in the Dizelabad prison of
- NOVEMBER 10, 2009VirginiaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Virginia. John Allen Muhammad was executed
USA - Virginia. John Allen Muhammad was executed
- 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.
- SEPTEMBER 12, 2009DEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: TEENAGER SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING
in Nigeria, Chief Justice Bemari Bansi of the Yola High Court sentenced Patrick Ozeoma to hang for a
- SEPTEMBER 8, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
EU ASKS IRAN TO HALT PLANNED EXECUTION OF MINORS
the European Union urged Iran to honour its international commitments and halt three imminent executions of people who committed crimes as minors.
- MAY 20, 2009DEATH PENALTY
IRAN: FOUR PEOPLE HANGED IN SHIRAZ
Four people were hanged in the prison of Shiraz in the morning, according to several Iranian newspapers such as Etemad.
- JANUARY 15, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI MINOR BEHEADED FOR KILLING COMPATRIOT
a Saudi Arabian minor convicted of murder was beheaded by the sword in the south-western border town of Abha.
- DECEMBER 30, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: MINOR EXECUTED FOR MURDER
the organisation of collective human rights activists in Iran reported the execution of juvenile offender
- DECEMBER 15, 2008Palestinian TerritoriesDEATH PENALTY
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY: DEATH SENTENCES SURGE IN WEST BANK, GAZA
Palestinian officials should announce an immediate moratorium on the death penalty and eliminate its use in
OCTOBER 29, 2008IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: JUVENILE HANGED FOR MURDER
the judicial branch of Isfahan province in Iran announced it had carried out that morning the death sentence of Gholamreza H., an Afghan national convicted of murder.
- SEPTEMBER 29, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. 21 YEAR OLD MAN HANGED IN KERMANSHAH PRISON
a 21 year old man identified as Homayon Shabestari was hanged in the western Iranian city of Kermanshah.
- SEPTEMBER 23, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. ANOTHER JUVENILE ON DEATH ROW
in Iran, a young man identified as Mahyear was sentenced to death for a crime he allegedly committed when 17, the state-run daily Kargozaran reported
- AUGUST 19, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRANIAN FACES HANGING FOR MURDER COMMITTED AS MINOR
Kargozaran newspaper said that Iran’s judiciary has approved the death sentence for a young man who committed murder as a minor.
- JULY 23, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
a man, possible minor, identified only as "H. A...
a man, possible minor, identified only as "H. A...
- JUNE 10, 2008IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. KURDISH BOY EXECUTED
A Kurdish boy, believed to be 16 or 17 years old at the time of execution
- NOVEMBER 14, 2007PakistanDEATH PENALTY
a taxi driver’s killer was executed in the central jail of Sahiwal town...
a taxi driver’s killer was executed in the central jail of Sahiwal town...
- OCTOBER 25, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. AFGHAN BOY HANGED FOR DRUG SMUGGLING - HUMAN RIGHTS WATCHDOG
the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission received evidence from an
- OCTOBER 18, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: URGENT APPEAL FOR A YOUNG MAN FACING EXECUTION FOR PLAYGROUND DEATH WHEN AGED 16
Amnesty International launched an urgent appeal for Ali Mahin Torabi
- AUGUST 20, 2007Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA BEHEADS YOUTH CONVICTED OF MURDERING STEPMOTHER WHILE A MINOR
Saudi Arabian authorities beheaded a Saudi national convicted of fatally shooting his stepmother while he was still a minor. The execution took place in the Muslim holy city of Mecca.
- APRIL 27, 2007TennesseeDEATH PENALTY
a Sullivan County jury sentences Nikolaus Johnson...
a Sullivan County jury sentences Nikolaus Johnson to death in the fatal shooting of a police officer.
- FEBRUARY 28, 2007YemenDEATH PENALTY
a juvenile offender, Adil Muhammad Saif al-Ma'amari...
a juvenile offender, Adil Muhammad Saif al-Ma'amari...
- FEBRUARY 16, 2007IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. SUPREME COURT CONFIRMS WOMAN'S DEATH SENTENCE
Iran's Supreme Court has confirmed the death sentence of a 20 year old woman identified as Darabi,
- OCTOBER 1, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MINOR SENTENCED TO HANG
a 17 year old boy was sentenced to death in Iran for murder, the Etemad daily reported.
- JUNE 12, 2006IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. MINOR SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
a 17 year old boy was sentenced to death in Iran for murder, according to the daily ‘Etemad’.
- JUNE 6, 2006DEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN. LAHORE HIGH COURT STAYS THREE EXECUTIONS AND DISMISSES A FOURTH
a Lahore High Court division bench, Pakistan, stayed for a day the execution of three condemned prisoners, Muhammad Ilyas, Muhammad Abbas and Muhammad Ilyas, scheduled to be executed later in the day, the daily times reported.
- JUNE 6, 2006PakistanDEATH PENALTY
the Lahore High Court rejected an application to stay the execution...
the Lahore High Court rejected an application to stay the execution of Muhammad Asif. Asif was to be executed later in the day in the Gujranwala Central Jail.
- SEPTEMBER 12, 2005IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN. YOUNG MAN HANGED IN PUBLIC FOR TEENAGE CRIME
a young man was hanged in public in the southern town of Kazeroun, in Fars Province, for a crime he had committed when he was a minor.
- JULY 7, 2005BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH. MAN SENTENCED TO HANG FOR RAPE
the district court in Manikganj, sentenced Refaj Uddin, 34, to death in absentia for raping a minor girl leading to her death.