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Executions of child offenders since 1990

Stop child executions

The use of the death penalty for crimes committed by people younger than 18 is prohibited under international human rights law, yet some countries still execute child offenders. Such executions are few compared to the total number of executions in the world. Their significance goes beyond their number and calls into question the commitment of the executing states to respect international law.

Since 1990 Amnesty International has documented 42 executions of child offenders in eight countries: China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the USA and Yemen. Several of these countries have changed their laws to exclude the practice. Executions of child offenders represent a tiny fraction of the total of executions worldwide recorded by Amnesty International each year. The USA has executed more child offenders than any other country.

The first table below gives statistics on executions of child offenders recorded by Amnesty International since 1990. The second table gives case details.

Recorded executions of child offenders since 1990: statistics
YearRecorded executions of child offendersTotal recorded executions worldwideCountries carrying out executions of child offenders (numbers of reported executions are shown in parentheses)
1990 22029 Iran (1), USA (1)
1991 02086
1992 61708 Iran (3), Pakistan (1), Saudi Arabia (1), USA (1)
1993 51831 USA (4), Yemen (1)
199402331--
199503276--
199604272--
199722607Nigeria (1), Pakistan (1)
199832258USA (3)
199921813Iran (1), USA (1)
200061457Congo (Democratic Republic) (1), Iran (1), USA (4)
200133048Iran (1), Pakistan (1), USA (1)
200231526USA (3)
2003 21146China (1), USA (1)
2004 43797
China (1), Iran (3)
2005 6Not available Iran (6)

Recorded executions of child offenders since 1990: case details
CountryName of prisonerAgeDate of execution
ChinaZhao Lin
Gao Pan
16 at time of offence
16 or 17 at the time of offence
January 2003
8 March 2004
Dem.Rep. of CongoKasongo14 at time of execution15 January 2000
IranKazem Shirafkan
Three young males

Ebrahim Qorbanzadeh
Jasem Abrahimi
Mehrdad Yousefi
Mohammad Zadeh
Salman
Atefeh Rajabi
Iman Farokhi
Ali Safarpour Rajabi

Mahmoud A.

A. M.

Farshid Farighi

Name unknown
17 at time of execution
One aged 16, two aged
17 at time of execution
17 at time of execution
17 at time of execution
16 at time of offence
17 at time of offence
17 at time of offence
16 at time of execution
17 at time of execution
16 or 17 at the time of offence
15 or 16 at time of the offence
16 or 17 at time of the offence
14 to 16 at time of offences
17 at time of execution
1990
29 September 1992

24 October 1999
14 January 2000
29 May 2001
25 January 2004
12 May 2004
15 August 2004
19 January 2005
13 July 2005

19 July 2005

19 July 2005

1 August 2005

23 August 2005
NigeriaChiebore Onuoha15 at time of offence, 17 at time of execution31 July 1997
PakistanOne juvenile
Shamun Masih
Ali Sher
17 when executed
14 at time of offence
13 at time of offence
15 November 1992
30 September 1997
3 November 2001
Saudi
Arabia
Sadeq Mal-Allah17 when sentenced to death3 September 1992
USA Dalton Prejean
Johnny Garrett
Curtis Harris
Frederick Lashley
Christopher Burger
Ruben Cantu
Joseph John Cannon
Robert Anthony Carter
Dwayne Allen Wright
Sean Sellers
Steve Roach
Chris Thomas
Glen McGinnis
Gary Graham
Gerald Mitchell
Napolean Beazley
T.J. Jones
Toronto Patterson
Scott Allen Hain
17 at time of offence
17 at time of offence
17 at time of offence
17 at time of offence
17 at time of offence
17 at time of offence
17 at time of offence
17 at time of offence
17 at time of offence
16 at time of offence
17 at time of offence
17 at time of offence
17 at time of offence
17 at time of offence
17 at time of offence
17 at time of offence
17 at time of offence
17 at time of offence
17 at time of offence
18 May 1990
11 February 1992
1 July 1993
28 July 1993
7 December 1993
24 August 1993
22 April 1998
18 May 1998
14 October 1998
4 February 1999
10 January 2000
13 January 2000
25 January 2000
22 June 2000
22 October 2001
28 May 2002
8 August 2002
28 August 2002
3 April 2003
YemenNaseer Munir Nasser al'Kirbi13 at time of execution21 July 1993

Last updated: 24 August 2005