Within two years year of the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim administration abolishing the mandatory death penalty, the number of death row inmates has plunged by nearly 90 per cent

Zhou Liren, a postgraduate student at Xiangtan University in Hunan province, was sentenced to death and life-long deprivation of political rights on April 7, 2025 for poisoning his two roommates' food, killing one of them, according to the Xiangtan Intermediate People's Court.

The Constitutional Court on April 7, 2025 dismissed an appeal filed by double murderer Huang Lin-kai before his execution, stating it had no jurisdiction over the case.

Death penalty for child rapists

The Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR entered into force for Zambia on 19 March 2025, three months after date of deposition of the accession instruments.

A judge in Pakistan on March 27, 2025 sentenced to death a Muslim who murdered a 20-year-old Christian in the presence of his family members, sources said.

The Colombo High Court on April 3, 2025 sentenced to death a person who was found guilty of being in the possession of over 16 grams of heroin and drug trafficking.