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Iraq court sentences 16 to death
The Iraq Central Criminal Court handed down 16 death sentences Thursday, the latest such sentences in a country with the fourth highest execution rate in the world . Two of those sentenced were non-Iraqi Arabs arrested earlier this year for enterin (More) |
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HRW calls for end to juvenile executions in Iran
Human Rights Watch (HRW) Wednesday called for Iran to stop using the death penalty for juveniles convicted of serious crimes. HRW said that Iran has executed offenders who committed crimes when they were as young as 15. With at least 17 juvenile o (More) |
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Kuwait high court upholds death penalty for Islamist militants, commutes 4 to life sentences
The Supreme Court of Kuwait Tuesday affirmed death sentences for two of six Islamist militants convicted in 2005 for their involvement in a clash with police that left several people dead, but commuted the other four to life in prison. The men, me (More) |
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UN expert urges Iraq to suspend use of death penalty
UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers Leandro Despouy Tuesday urged Iraq to stop carrying out death sentences , saying that the use of capital punishment despite threats of violence against the judiciary and the continued (More) |
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Ethiopia appeal of former dictator Mengistu adjourned to July
Appeal proceedings in the case of former Ethiopian President Mengistu Haile Mariam [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] have been adjourned until July 3, following the orders of a judge on Tuesday. Mengistu, who received a life sentence in absentia la (More) |
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ICTR seeks return of genocide case to Rwanda court after death penalty abolition
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) requested Monday that the case against Fulgence Kayishema , who was indicted in absentia in 2001 for his involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide , be moved to a Rwandan court for trial. Kayish (More) |
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Rwanda parliament votes to abolish death penalty
The lower house of the parliament of Rwanda [government website; JURIST news archive] voted Friday to abolish the death penalty effective July 1, with the hope that the measure will prompt other countries to extradite defendants facing trial for th (More) |
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Anfal genocide case to be decided this month: Iraqi judge
Chief judge Mohammed al-Uraibi of the Iraqi High Tribunal said Sunday that the court will hand down a verdict June 24 in the genocide trial of Ali Hassan al-Majid - known to the Western media as "Chemical Ali" - and five other former Hu (More) |
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China death sentences down in 2007: state media
The number of death sentences handed down by Chinese courts in the first five months of 2007 has decreased following the implementation of reforms which require all death sentences to receive the approval of the Supreme People's Court , Chinese (More) |
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Ethiopia charges 55 with plotting against government after controversial election
The government of Ethiopia charged 55 people affiliated with the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) Tuesday with plotting to overthrow the government following Ethiopia's 2005 election . The CUD has previously accused Prime Mini (More) |
First execution by guillotine in France
On April 25, 1792, highwayman Nicolas-Jacques Pelletier became the first person beheaded by the guillotine in France.
Learn more about the history of the guillotine.
