Aggravated murder and crimes against the State or humanity are capital crimes.

Aggravated murder and crimes against the State or humanity are still capital crimes. The Penal Code of 1957 prescribes the death penalty “in cases of exceptional gravity” for genocide, crimes against humanity (Art. 281); war crimes against the civilian population (Art. 282); crimes against the wounded, sick or shipwrecked persons (Art. 283); war crimes against prisoners and interned persons (Art. 284); pillage, piracy and looting (Art. 285).
On 9 May 2005, Ethiopia introduced an Amended Penal Code under which a person who deliberately infected someone with HIV/AIDS by rape would face a maximum penalty of death.
In 2013, for the sixth consecutive year, no executions were carried out in Ethiopia, while at least 8 death sentences were imposed, the first recorded since 2010.
The last execution took place on 6 August 2007, when Tsehaye Woldeselassie, an army major, was executed for murdering Kinfe Gebremedhin, the head of the intelligence and security services in 2001. Before that, the last known execution was carried out in 1998.
On 6 May 2014, Ethiopia was reviewed under the Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council. The Government rejected recommendations to adopt a de jure moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty, and sign and ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty.
On 18 December 2014, Ethiopia voted against the Resolution on a Moratorium on the Use of the Death Penalty at the UN General Assembly, as in 2012, 2010 and 2007. However, on 20 December 2008, Ethiopia voted in favor.