Death Penalty News

Earlier, while convicting Chenthamara, the court had asked whether he wished to say anything before sentencing. He initially replied that he had "nothing to say." PALAKKAD: In a significant judgment, the Additional District and Sessions Court-IV, Palakkad, on Monday sentenced Chenthamara (62) to death for the brutal double murder of his neighbours Sudhakaran and his 75-year-old mother Lakshmi at Boyan Unnathi in Pothundy, Nenmara in 2025. In addition to the death penalty, the court imposed a fine of Rs 20 lakh and ordered that this amount be paid as compensation to the victims' family.

TEHRAN, Iran (DPN) — An Iranian protester who drew international alarm over reports of an impending death sentence has been released on bail, but he remains ensnared in the country's judicial system without a pardon or dismissal of charges, according to human rights organizations and state media. Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old resident of Fardis, a suburb west of Tehran, was freed Saturday after his family posted bail equivalent to about $12,600. His detention stemmed from participation in anti-government protests that erupted nationwide in late 2025 and intensified into early 2026, challenging the Islamic Republic's clerical leadership amid economic woes and demands for political reforms. Soltani's case spotlighted the harsh crackdown on dissenters.

An Iranian female LGBT activist arrived safely in an undisclosed country after her release from prison on bail following the cancellation of her death sentence. Zahra Sedighi-Hamedani, known as Sareh, “expresses her gratitude to all LGB activists who accompanied her on this difficult journey to freedom.” the Germany-based Iranian LGBT rights group 6Rang said in a statement on December 1. “She congratulates the LGBT community, activists and the global community who supported the #FreeSareh campaign,” it added.

Denial of Bail, Coerced Confessions, and Lack of Access to Lawyers You are basically held hostage until you give the prosecutors what they want. This is not how a criminal justice system should work in a healthy society. —Nobuo Gohara, former prosecutor, quoted in the Japan Times, January 5, 2019 The Nakamura family has lost faith in the Japanese legal system. Nakamura, a senior tax accountant, had pancreatic cancer when the police arrested him in October 2016 for fraud. His lawyer made multiple requests for bail to obtain adequate medical treatment, submitting medical evidence that the cancer had spread to Nakamura’s lungs, he had low blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and that his brain was not properly functioning.

Defence counsel argues that the case has no basis and has been concocted to humiliate his client LAHORE: A division bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan has granted post-arrest bail to an accused, detained in jail for more than four years, allegedly involved in using highly derogatory language against God, prophets and Islam on social media. The bench, led by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, heard the case at the Supreme Court's Lahore registry. It rejected the arguments of the complainant’s counsel, such as the plea to discourage such pleas which, according to him, are increasing day by day merely to get asylums abroad. However, the bench granted a post-arrest bail to Qamar Aqash after the case against him could not be established to the extent of the bail. Earlier, the bench asked how the trial could not be concluded despite the fact that the accused person had been in jail for more than four years. At this, the complainant’s counsel Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry argued that the delay was o...

2 High Court judges – in Kota Bharu and Penang – have ruled that accused persons charged with drug trafficking that carries the death penalty cannot be given bail. Judicial commissioner Mohamad Abazafree Mohd Abbas said in Kota Bharu there was a specific provision in the Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA) to deny applicants bail. He said Section 41B of the DDA clearly stated that bail shall not be granted to an accused person charged with an offence punishable with death or with jail terms for more than 5 years. “The provision of Section 41B prevails over the general provision in Section 388(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC),” he said in dismissing bail applications by Mohd Asyraf Samil and Siti Fakhira Bahrudin. Abazafree, in his judgment delivered last week, said his failure to hear the bail application also did not mean he had abrogated the judiciary’s authority under the doctrine of separation of powers. Lawyer Nik Nasron Nazmi, who represented Asyraf and Fakhira, submitted that the c...

A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced two persons to death for killing six-year-old Khandaker Samiul Azim Wafi in June 2010. One of the convicts is the child's mother, Humaira Akhter Ayesha, and the other is Shamsuzzaman Arif alias Bakku. Both are currently absconding. Judge Shaikh Nazmul Alam of the Special Judge's Court-4 of Dhaka handed down the sentence in their absence. The judge observed that the mother, along with her lover, had committed a heinous crime by killing her son and so she deserved the capital punishment. The punishment of the fugitives will be effective from the day of their arrest or surrender, the judge added. Earlier, the prosecution and the defence completed their arguments and the court recorded statements of 22 prosecution witnesses including complainant of the case. Samiul's body was recovered from a spot near his home at Adabar in Dhaka on June 24, 2010. Following the incident, his father KM Azim filed a case with Adabar Police Station accusing his wi...

A Minnesota judge on Monday warned that he's likely to move the trials of four former police officers charged in George Floyd's death out of Minneapolis if public officials and attorneys don't stop talking about the case. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill spoke as the ex-officers, who were fired after Floyd's May 25 death, appeared in court for a second pre-trial hearing. Cahill stopped short of issuing a gag order on attorneys, but he said one is likely if public statements continue. Cahill added that such a situation would also make him likely to grant a change-of-venue motion if one is filed. "The court is not going to be happy about hearing about the case in three areas: media, evidence and guilt or innocence," Cahill said. Derek Chauvin, 44, is charged with second-degree murder and other counts, while Thomas Lane, 37, J. Kueng, 26, and Tou Thao, 34, are charged with aiding and abetting Chauvin. Lane and Kueng, who have posted bail, were se...

The former Atlanta police officer who fatally shot a black man as he ran away with the officer's Taser last week has been charged with murder, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced Wednesday.  Garrett Rolfe, who was fired after the killing of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks, faces 11 criminal charges, including felony murder. If convicted of the murder charge, Rolfe could face the death penalty or life in prison without parole. RELATED |  Atlanta officer fired after fatal shooting of black man at Wendy's drive-thru Howard, speaking to reporters Wednesday, said prosecutors reviewed eight videos of the shooting and spoke with 10 witnesses and determined that Brooks "did not pose an immediate threat of death or serious physical injury" to the officers.  The district attorney said the officers failed to provide "timely" medical attention to Brooks for two minutes after he was shot and that Rolfe kicked Brooks as he was lying on t...

(CNN) -- One of the four former Minneapolis police officers awaiting trial in the death of George Floyd has been released on $750,000 bond. Thomas Lane, 37, was released Wednesday afternoon from the Hennepin County jail, the facility's website reads. Lane was one of four officers involved in arresting Floyd on Memorial Day on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill.  The arrest led to Floyd's death, which has sparked global protests against racial injustice and police misconduct. Bystander video shows then-Officer Derek Chauvin pressing his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes as Floyd was on the ground outside a police vehicle. Lane and another officer held down other parts of Floyd's body, next to Chauvin, authorities said in a probable cause statement. Floyd, after repeatedly saying he couldn't breathe, became unresponsive.  He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Chauvin was charged with second-degre...

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murdering George Floyd during an arrest, had his bail set at up to $1.25 million Monday. Floyd, who was black, died May 25 after Chauvin knelt on his neck to restrain him for nearly nine minutes while he was being detained on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill to make a purchase.  The incident has sparked protests nationwide. Chauvin, who is white, is charged with second- and third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. The 44-year-old former cop, who has been in jail for nearly two weeks, appeared in Hennepin County District Court via a remote video feed, wearing an orange jumpsuit and blue mask, with handcuffs. Chauvin will have to post $1.25 million bail if he wants to be released with no conditions, Judge Jeannice Reding ordered. But he can be released after posting $1 million bail if he agrees to abide by conditions that include appearing for all future court appearances...

(CNN) - One of the officers had been on the job four days. One was on his third shift ever.  And Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee into George Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes, was the field training officer for one of them. Chauvin, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao were responding to a call about a $20 counterfeit bill on May 25 when they detained Floyd, who died while in custody. The four officers were fired and are now facing charges in Floyd's death. Here's what we know about their role in Floyd's arrest as well as their lives before and while they were on the force, based on their personnel files. Derek Chauvin What he did: Derek Chauvin, 44, pressed his knee into George Floyd's neck while Floyd was lying on the street. The charges: Chauvin was charged on Wednesday with a new, more serious count of second-degree murder. He had previously been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. ...