At least seven people have been put to death in the past decade for watching or distributing K-pop videos, as the North cracks down on what its leader calls a “vicious cancer.”
Tag: Capital Punishment
Saudi Court Blocks Execution of Man Convicted of Crime Committed at 14
Rights groups said the death sentence for Abdullah al-Huwaiti ran contrary to the kingdom’s claimed legal reforms. Now he’ll be retried.
Rights Groups Urge Singapore Not to Execute Man With Mental Disability
The man, a Malaysian with an I.Q. of 69, was caught trying to smuggle an ounce and a half of heroin in 2009. Some are calling his planned hanging a human rights violation.
Syria Executes 24 People for Setting Wildfires, Calling It ‘Terrorism’
The sentences shocked rights groups, who saw it as a move by President Bashar al-Assad to appear tough after a crisis that hurt his loyalists.
For a Crime at 14, He Faces Death in a Case Casting Doubt on Saudi Reforms
The kingdom has announced changes to its justice system, but still sentenced a teenager to death for a robbery and the killing of a police officer, despite an alibi and claims of a forced confession.
China Upholds Death Sentence for Robert Lloyd Schellenberg
Robert Lloyd Schellenberg initially received 15 years in prison for methamphetamine trafficking. But he was handed a death sentence in a one-day retrial in 2019.
One by One, African Countries Dismantle Colonial-Era Death Penalty Laws
In a unanimous vote by lawmakers, Sierra Leone became the 23rd African country to abolish capital punishment. Critics called it an inhumane vestige of colonialism.
Archaeologists Uncover Decapitated Bodies From Roman Britain
Technological advances, including DNA and tooth enamel analyses, allowed researchers to form new conclusions about capital punishment under Roman rule.
In Saudi Arabia, Quiet Changes May Ease Tensions With Biden
The new president is a Saudi critic, but he takes office as the kingdom scales back beheadings, removes hate speech from text books and limits prison terms for activists.
Bangladesh to Allow Death Penalty for Rape Convictions
Ministers approved an amendment that would permit capital punishment for the crime after a series of assaults led to widespread calls to tackle what many say is a systemic problem.