Death Penalty News

The 81-year-old Franco-Algerian writer’s imprisonment exposes both the brutality of Algiers and the moral cowardice of Paris. PARIS — Boualem Sansal has spent his life fighting for the right to speak freely. Today, at 81, suffering from cancer, he is paying the price for that courage — imprisoned in Algeria after a sham trial, condemned for doing what he has always done: telling the truth about power. In March 2025 , an Algerian court sentenced the Franco-Algerian writer to five years in prison for “undermining national unity” and “attacking state security.” His crime was to speak — calmly and publicly — about the legacy of Algeria’s authoritarianism and the suffocating control its rulers still exert over public life. For that, he was seized, tried without due process, and locked away.

Tetsuya Yamagami, the 45-year-old man who assassinated former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on July 8, 2022, has consistently stated that his motive was rooted in deep-seated resentment toward the Unification Church (now known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, often called the "Moonies").  He blamed the church for destroying his family through coercive financial donations and emotional manipulation, and he targeted Abe as a prominent political figure he viewed as a key enabler of the church's influence in Japan due to longstanding ties with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). 

KOBE (Kyodo) -- A court on Friday handed a man a life sentence for killing three members of his family with a crossbow at his home in western Japan in 2020, a case that prompted the government to tighten rules on possession of the weapon. The Kobe District Court refrained from imposing the death penalty sought by the prosecutors on Hideaki Nozu, 28, with Presiding Judge Chiwaki Matsuda noting his developmental disorder had affected his motives. According to the ruling, Nozu fatally shot and killed his 75-year-old grandmother and his 22-year-old brother, both of whom lived with the defendant, and his 47-year-old mother, who was visiting their home in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, on June 4, 2020.

John Koch has covered 100 executions since 1989 John Koch’s colleagues know him by a different name: Dr. Death.  The radio news journalist has witnessed over 100 executions since the start of his career 50 years ago, according to his own count. He documented infamous killer Ted Bundy’s last moments alive and every other death row inmate’s in Florida’s execution chamber since. Now 76, he has no intentions of stopping.

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); October 29, 2025: Peyman Rostami and Sasan Lorestani, two Kurdish men on death row for murder, were executed in Kermanshah Central Prison. According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were hanged in Kermanshah (Dizel Abad) Central Prison on 22 October 2025. Their identities have been established as Peyman Rostami and Sasan (Ehsan) Lorestani, two Kurdish men from Kermanshah. They were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court.

The news organizations are challenging protocols that prevent reporters from witnessing the full lethal injection process A group of news outlets has sued Tennessee prison officials, claiming the state's execution rules block journalists from fully witnessing lethal injections and conceal key moments from public scrutiny.  Under current procedures, reporters are only allowed to observe once the condemned inmate is already strapped to the gurney. 

Denpasar (Indonesia) (AFP) – The trial of three Australians accused of plotting the murder of a compatriot at a villa on the Indonesian resort island of Bali began Thursday, with all facing the death penalty. Prosecutors read out charges of premeditated murder for Darcy Jenson, 37, Paea-I-Middlemore Tupou, 37, and Coskun Mevlut, 23, over the shooting of 32-year-old Australian national Zivan Radmanovic in June. He was killed when two people burst into his villa in the tourist hub of Badung and at least one opened fire.

Brazilian police were today accused of gruesome brutality as part of a bloody gang crackdown before international heads of state and dignitaries arrive in the country for the COP30 Climate Summit. Officers have been accused of beheading a teenage gangster and hanging his head from a tree after the country's bloodiest-ever favela raid. In the ongoing favela violence, gangs bombed police with drones in revenge for the deadly crackdown in the Penha district. 'This is how the Rio police are treated by criminals: with bombs dropped by drones,' said a police spokesperson.  'This is the scale of the challenge we face. This is not ordinary crime, but narco-terrorism.' A resident added: 'This is the first time we've seen drones from criminals dropping bombs in the community. Everyone is terrified because there's so much gunfire.' The aerial assaults came after a brutal police crackdown left at least 119 people dead - spotlighting the city's controversial ...

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Sharifeh Mohammadi, an Iranian labor activist previously sentenced to death over alleged ties to Kurdish opposition parties, has had her sentence commuted to 30 years in prison, her lawyer said on Wednesday.   Mohammadi was handed a death sentence in July 2024 for allegedly participating in armed rebellion, known as “Baghi.” She was accused of membership in a group linked to the Komala Party, an exiled Kurdish group designated a terrorist organization by Tehran. 

Under the law, doctors are prohibited from dispensing psychotropic substances without an approved medical justification. Violations carry a prison sentence of up to three years. — Patients traveling from abroad must have prescriptions approved by Kuwaiti authorities, with electronic approvals also recognized. — Travelers carrying narcotics must present prescriptions upon entry to ensure quantities match legal authorization. — Pharmacies face fines of up to 100,000 dinars and the possibility of closure for up to five years if they fail to comply with regulations.

ROME—The sister of an acquitted former inmate who spent decades on death row expressed hopes at an international conference here on Oct. 28 that her brother's story could help end the death penalty and wrongful convictions.  Hideko Hakamada, 92, sister of Iwao Hakamada, spoke at the International Meeting for Peace, titled “Daring Peace” this year, which included a discussion on the death penalty. She talked about her brother and her efforts to help clear his name.  Iwao Hakamada, 89, was sentenced to death for the 1966 murder of a family of four in Shizuoka Prefecture and later acquitted in a retrial. 

Florida executes man convicted of killing his neighbor in 1998  A Florida man convicted of raping and killing his next-door neighbor was executed Tuesday evening, the state's 15th execution this year.  Florida has executed more people than any other state this year, followed by Texas and Alabama with 5 executions each.  Norman Mearle Grim Jr., 65, died by lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke at 6:14 p.m., according to the state's Department of Corrections. He was convicted of sexual battery and 1st-degree murder and sentenced to death for the 1998 killing of his neighbor, Cynthia Campbell.

While Iran’s regime has set a new record of cruelty and brutality by executing 284 prisoners in the Persian month of Mehr (Sept 23-Oct 22), it has begun the month of Aban with a continued wave of executions.  By the morning of October 27, the executions of 12 prisoners on October 25 and 10 prisoners on October 26 have been recorded.  The total number of victims is higher and will be announced after verification.

Israeli parliament to vote next week on death penalty bill for Palestinian terrorists The Israeli Knesset is set to vote next week on a bill that would allow the execution of Palestinian prisoners.  The move follows pressure from Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who had threatened to withdraw his support for coalition legislation if the bill was not passed.  The announcement was made in a statement issued on Monday evening by Ofir Katz, head of the coalition in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. 

A 22-year-old former university student facing the death penalty for murdering and burning his pregnant girlfriend's body 2 years ago in Sabak Bernam is now appealing for a reduced sentence.  Lawyer Muhammad Nor Tamrin, representing Muhammad Fakrul Aiman Sajali, said a notice of appeal to review the death penalty was filed at the Court of Appeal through Messrs M. Nor & Partners on Oct 20.  According to court documents, Fakrul Aiman is appealing against the decision of Klang High Court judge Norliza Othman on Oct 15, which found him guilty of murdering his pregnant girlfriend and sentenced him to death by hanging.

STARKE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man convicted of raping and killing his next-door neighbor is scheduled to be executed Tuesday evening. Norman Mearle Grim Jr., 65, is set to receive a lethal injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. Grim was convicted of sexual battery and first-degree murder and sentenced to death for the 1998 killing of his neighbor Cynthia Campbell. It would be Florida’s 15th death sentence carried out in 2025, further extending the state record for total executions in a single year.

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 27: In a landmark ruling that has sent shockwaves through Kuwaiti society, the Criminal Court has sentenced a Kuwaiti citizen to death for the abduction and sexual assault of a 9-year-old child in Maidan Hawally on the first day of Eid al-Fitr.  The court's decision underscores the nation's commitment to upholding justice and protecting its most vulnerable members.

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); October 27, 2025: Mahboubeh Jalali, Kourosh Nasrollahzadeh, Farhad Hatami (Kurdish) and Meisam Bagheri, a woman and three men on death row for drug-related offences, were executed in a group hanging in Rasht Central Prison. According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a woman and three men were hanged in Rasht (Lakan) Central Prison on 26 October 2025. Their identities have been established as Mahboubeh Jalali, a 38-year-old woman from Roudsar, 48-year-old Kourosh Nasrollahzadeh from Fuman, Farhad Hatami, a Kurdish man from Kangavar, and 35-year-old Meisam Bagheri from Karaj. Kourosh and Farhad were arrested three years ago, Mahboubeh, four years ago, and Meisam, six years ago. They were all sentenced to death on drug-related charges by the Revolutionary Court.

The gunman accused of killing Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pled guilty Tuesday, three years after the assassination in broad daylight shocked the world. The slaying forced a reckoning in a country with little experience of gun violence, and ignited scrutiny of alleged ties between prominent conservative lawmakers and a secretive sect, the Unification Church. "Everything is true," Tetsuya Yamagami said at a court in the western city of Nara, admitting murder of the country's longest-serving leader in July 2022. The 45-year-old was led into the room by four security officials.

North Korea's citizens face death penalty by firing squads for failed escape attempts A North Korean interpreter reportedly defected to the South Korean Embassy in Ulaanbaatar during an official delegation visit to Mongolia in late August, marking a rare and significant blow to Kim Jong-un’s regime , according to diplomatic sources. The delegation was led by Tae Hyung-cheol, president of the Academy of Social Sciences, one of Pyongyang ’s leading policy institutes. The interpreter’s escape was kept secret for weeks before being confirmed by media outlets in Seoul . Officials in South Korea have declined to comment, citing security concerns. However, Kyodo News reported that Pyongyang has already ordered the replacement of its ambassador to Mongolia. It remains unclear whether the ambassador was directly involved in the incident, but sources say he is now under investigation.

KUWAIT: Launching a “real war” against drugs, Kuwait has succeeded in cutting trafficking by 90 percent over the past year, First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah announced on Sunday. The minister explained that the price of narcotic pills is now seven or eight times higher than a year ago due to unavailability as a result of the clampdown. “Pills that normally cost one dinar before are now costing seven or eight dinars,” said the minister, reflecting successful efforts by authorities to clamp down on smuggling and trafficking of narcotics. “Interior ministry authorities have been engaged in a real war against trafficking of drugs” the minister told reporters after opening a new facility for the treatment of drug addicts.

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 27: In a landmark ruling, the Criminal Court of Kuwait has sentenced a Kuwaiti citizen to death for the premeditated murder of his wife in the Mutlaa area on the first day of Eid al-Fitr.  The case, which has shocked the nation, was marked by its brutality and the subsequent legal proceedings that captivated public attention. On March 30, 2025, the defendant lured his wife to a remote location in the desert area of Mutlaa. Once there, he forcibly entered her vehicle and, without provocation, deliberately ran her over with his car, resulting in her immediate death. 

Singapore has executed 14 prisoners this year. Among them was Pannir, hanged earlier this month for a first-time drug offence. Death is the courtesy extended to you as a mercy. This is the first line of a poem called You Die from Within , written last year by then 37-year-old Pannir Selvam Pranthaman while on death row in Singapore. Pannir was convicted of smuggling drugs after 51 grams of pure heroin were found on him at a checkpoint on Singapore's border with Malaysia. According to Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau, there were three packets of a "granular/powdery substance" found on his body and one packet in a compartment on his motorbike.

MONTGOMERY, Ala.  — The execution of Anthony Boyd by nitrogen gas in Alabama on Thursday marked the longest use of the untested method in U.S. history, stretching nearly 40 minutes amid convulsions, labored breathing and witness accounts of prolonged agony.  At 37 minutes from the start of the procedure until death was declared, Boyd's final moments have reignited fierce debates over whether the oxygen-deprivation technique — touted by states as a painless alternative to lethal injection — constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

The case sent shockwaves through France and reignited a heated debate over the country's immigration policies. Algerian illegal migrant  Dahbia Benkired has been sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for raping, torturing, and killing 12-year-old Lola Daviet in 2022, the first time such a sentence has ever been handed down to a woman in France. A Paris court handed down the maximum sentence to 27-year-old Dahbia Benkired on Friday, following her conviction for the kidnapping, rape, torture, and murder of Lola Daviet, whose body was found in a plastic trunk outside her home in northeastern Paris.

Alabama executes inmate Anthony Boyd despite innocence claims in 1993 burning death  Alabama executed an inmate using nitrogen gas Thursday night, despite the man’s claims of innocence and a legal fight calling the execution method unconstitutional.  Anthony Todd Boyd , 54, died by breathing in nitrogen through a gas mask at William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore. The prison is where Alabama death row is housed, holds the state’s only execution chamber and is just miles north of the Florida border. 

The Islamic Republic's Supreme Court has rejected a retrial request for a 22-year-old student sentenced to death, according to his lawyer. Mahmoud Behzadi-rad said on Wednesday that the court dismissed the request for Ehsan Faridi "in less than an hour, without a thorough review,” and he now faces a potential death penalty. The case was assigned to Branch 29 of the Supreme Court to consider the retrial request.  Behzadi-rad said he plans to file a new petition in person on Thursday.

The decision comes amid the revelation that actor Ammar Zoni, currently serving a four-year sentence at Salemba Penitentiary in Central Jakarta for narcotics-related charges, was allegedly involved in drug trafficking inside the facility, along with five other inmates. JAKARTA – More than 1,000 prison guards are undergoing retraining at the maximum-security prisons on Nusakambangan Island, following a string of scandals involving criminal activities orchestrated from behind bars, a senior minister has said. Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Correctional Services Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the retraining program was intended to reinforce discipline among correctional officers and improve their oversight of inmates, particularly to curb the widespread circulation of narcotics within penitentiaries across the country.

A man convicted of raping and fatally beating his former manager at a Florida convenience store is scheduled to be put to death in November under a death warrant signed Tuesday by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is setting a record pace for executions.  Richard Barry Randolph, 63, is scheduled to die by lethal injection Nov. 20 at Florida State Prison. Randolph would be the 17th person set for execution in Florida in 2025, with DeSantis overseeing more executions in a single year than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The previous record was set in 2014 with 8 executions.

Anthony Boyd is sched­uled to be exe­cut­ed in Alabama on October 23, 2025, for his role in the 1993 kid­nap­ping and mur­der of Gregory "New York” Huguley. Mr. Boyd was con­vict­ed based sole­ly on eye­wit­ness tes­ti­mo­ny with no phys­i­cal evi­dence link­ing him to the crime, and he has main­tained his inno­cence. Alabama will exe­cute Mr. Boyd using nitro­gen gas, the 7th time state has used this con­tro­ver­sial method since January 2024, when the state exe­cut­ed Kenneth Smith in the 1st-ever exe­cu­tion of its kind.

When Malaysia, through a deputy minister, allegedly said it was “useless” (or “of no operational value”) to keep a Malaysian at risk of being executed in Singapore , it was totally unjust, wrong and contrary to Malaysia’s own position of a moratorium on executions, pending the abolition of the death the penalty, and the obligation to act against the crime of drug trafficking , and, most importantly, Malaysia’s duty to protect the lives of Malaysians. Worse, the minister revealed that no investigation papers were opened and the matter was not even referred to the public prosecutor. It is the public prosecutor who should have decided whether it was important to keep such a possible material witness alive or not and whether to commence investigations on those whose names were provided by Pannir Selvam Pranthaman.

Anthony Boyd , set to be executed on Thursday, requested that Gov. Kay Ivey meet with him before carrying out his sentence An Alabama death row inmate scheduled to be executed this week is pleading with Gov. Kay Ivey to meet with him in person before his death, insisting that he is innocent and has never received a fair hearing in court. Anthony Boyd had his plea recorded on Monday night from a prison phone call. During a press conference Tuesday morning, hosted by the nonprofit Execution Intervention Project , his spiritual advisor, Dr. Rev. Jeff Hood, shared his message. 

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); October 18, 2025: Reza Yousefi, a man on death row for murder, was executed in Qom Central Prison. According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was hanged in Qom Central Prison on 16 October 2025. His identity has been established as 25-year-old Reza Yousefi from Qom. He was arrested around four years ago and sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder by the Criminal Court. An informed source told IHRNGO: “Two people were injured during an altercation, leaving one dead and the other paralysed. In court, Reza stated he had committed the murder in self-defence. Sources close to the case have said it’s possible that the altercation took place over attempted rape and that the victim died while Reza was defending himself.”

The family of Ruth Ellis, from Rhyl, said she was a victim of domestic abuse that was let down by the criminal justice system and the impact of her execution had been 'devastating for her family' The grandchildren of the last woman to be hanged in Britain are seeking a posthumous pardon, saying she was physically and emotionally abused by her partner before killing him.  Ruth Ellis, a nightclub hostess from Rhyl, was executed on July 13, 1955, at Holloway Prison after being convicted of murdering her lover, David Blakely.

The Singaporean government hanged Pannir Selvam this month, the 10th convict to be executed in 2025 for nonviolent narcotics violations. When I met Angelia Pranthaman and her brother Joshua in Singapore two years ago, they were still cheerful and upbeat. They had a couple of hours to kill before their bus back to Malaysia, a long journey they undertook as often as they could to visit their brother Pannir Selvam. Growing up in a Christian, Indian-Malaysian family, Pannir's five brothers and sisters remember him as a playful, naughty boy who was always getting into trouble, but also a talented musician who played drums and guitar at their local church.

The British national, 69, could be free to return home following an agreement between Indonesia and the UK A British grandmother who was facing a death sentence in Bali for smuggling a large haul of cocaine into the island will be freed, more than a decade after her arrest. Lindsay Sandiford, 69, is currently being held in the notorious Kerobokan prison, which holds around 1,000 inmates. Sandiford, from Redcar in Teesside, could be free to return home as soon as Tuesday after an Indonesian government source told AFP that an agreement had been reached with the UK government.

Amnesty said that the execution of Abdullah was just one of a long line of executions It was announced by Amnesty International today that the Saudi regime executed Abdullah al-Derazi , who was a young man, under the age of 18 at the time of his alleged crimes, linked to him attending demonstrations against the regime.  Amnesty had been warning of his imminent execution for some weeks and had called on King Salman not to ratify his death sentence. Amnesty was gravely concerned for his life because on 21 August, the Saudi authorities had executed another young man, Jabal Labbad who had also been arrested as a minor, in his case for attending demonstrations and funerals.

He was one of the FBI's 10 most wanted fugitives; now federal prosecutors have filed their fifth superseding indictment against Mexican cartel leader José Rodolfo Villareal-Hernández, also known as 'El Gato.'  Villareal-Hernández is connected to a 2013 Southlake murder and is facing a new charge.  The violent crime at Southlake's popular Townsquare shook the community over a decade ago. Now, 12 years later, Villareal-Hernández, who is accused of orchestrating that murder, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, interstate stalking, and now, continuing criminal enterprise. 

Authorities do not name individual who was hanged in Qom, claim he was in contact with Mossad from October 2023 until arrest in early 2024 TEHRAN, Iran — Iran executed a man convicted of spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, the judiciary said Sunday, the latest in a series of executions following a 12-day war in June between the two countries. “The execution of this spy… was carried out after confirmation by the Supreme Court and the rejection of his pardon request at Qom Prison,” Kazem Mousavi, chief justice of Qom province, was quoted as saying by the judiciary’s Mizan Online website.

In an unusual move, an inmate scheduled to be executed this month in the 1998 sexual assault and murder of an East Milton woman has decided not to fight in court.  During an Oct. 1 hearing in Santa Rosa County circuit court, Norman Grim, 65, waived pursuing an attempt to try to prevent the Oct. 28 execution, according to court documents.  “Defendant indicated that his wish was to forego all warrant (legal) proceedings and allow execution to proceed,” Circuit Judge Clifton Drake wrote in an order after the hearing. “Defendant was advised of his right to appeal as well as his right to waive the appeal and defendant stated, ‘No appeals.’” 

1,500 Death-Row Inmates in Ghezel Hesar Enter 6th Day of Hunger Strike Amid Savage Executions The hunger strike by 1,500 prisoners in Unit 2 of Ghezel Hesar Prison entered its 6th day on Saturday, October 18, 2025.  Since last night, the physical condition of several prisoners has deteriorated.  A number of the striking prisoners have sewn their lips shut and held up signs reading “No to Execution.” 

Taliban Publicly Execute Man Convicted of Murder in Badghis  The Taliban on Thursday publicly executed a man convicted of murder in northwestern Afghanistan, marking the 11th such execution since the group’s return to power in 2021, according to the Taliban’s Supreme Court.  In a statement, the court said the man, identified as Ismail, was convicted of fatally shooting a man and a woman, Dost Mohammad and Gulbarga, in Jawand district of Badghis province.  The statement added that the verdict was upheld by three Taliban-run courts and reviewed by the group’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, before final approval. 

No physical evidence connected Anthony Boyd to a 1993 murder. He was sent to death row on the word of a co-defendant who testified under the threat of capital punishment. On the afternoon of August 1, 1993, the Talladega County Sheriff’s Department got a call to check out the ballfields in Munford, Alabama. When they arrived, they discovered a man’s badly burned body lying underneath an oak tree where spectators would sit to watch softball games. A pair of cinderblocks were nearby, and a charred wooden board was next to him.  Unable to identify the body, the state’s forensic pathologist cut off a hand during the autopsy in order to take fingerprints. They came back as a match for Gregory “New York” Huguley, 32, who lived in Anniston, about 20 minutes north of Munford. 

Bill to form special tribunal calls to try October 7 suspects under Israel’s genocide law, which can carry a death sentence, though decision ultimately in PM’s hands  Justice Minister Yariv Levin announced on Thursday that he is advancing legislation in the Knesset to establish a special criminal tribunal to try Gazans accused of carrying out massacres and atrocities on October 7, 2023, in a process that could result in death sentences being handed down to those convicted.

On the morning of Wednesday, October 15, 2025, Kafieh Qobadzadeh, a female prisoner, was executed in Shiraz Central Prison, known as Adelabad. Kafieh Qobadzadeh, originally from Isfahan, had spent 7 years on death row. She was only 23 years old at the time of her arrest, accused of killing her husband.  Her husband was reportedly violent and constantly suspicious of her, which ultimately led to a confrontation ending in his death.  She was the second woman executed on Wednesday. On that same day, Nahid Hemmati was hanged in Nahavand Prison, located in Hamedan Province.