Capital punishment for non-violent offenses


Capital punishment for non-violent offenses is allowed by law in many countries.

Adultery

Apostasy and blasphemy

means renouncing/abandoning/leaving one's religion for another religion or irreligion. In the 21st century, this is considered a crime only for Muslims, in a limited number of countries and territories, about ten of whom have the death penalty on it, while the other jurisdictions may inflict less severe punishments such as imprisonment, a fine or loss of some civil rights, notably one's marriage and child custody. Converting a Muslim to another religion or irreligion is sometimes also criminalised as being an 'accomplice to apostasy'. Apostasy is not known to be a crime for adherents of any other religion in any country in the 21st century. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights includes the 'freedom to change religion or belief', therefore any obstruction of apostasy is considered a human rights violation in international law.
Blasphemy means insult, defamation or desecration/sacrilege of something that or someone who is deemed holy in one or more religions. Unlike apostasy, the religious status of the person suspected/accused of blasphemy is generally regarded as irrelevant; for example, a Muslim may be accused of 'blaspheming' a thing or person deemed holy by some Christians, and vice versa, even if that thing or person is not 'holy' to the suspect. In the 21st century, blasphemy is much more widely criminalised than apostasy, in jurisdictions around the world, and is influenced by several religions including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Judaism. As of July 2020, blasphemy could be punished by the death penalty in eight countries, all of which were Muslim-majority countries.
In some jurisdictions influenced by Sharia, apostasy and blasphemy are closely linked offences. 'Apostasy', or 'public expression of apostasy', is sometimes considered a form/'evidence' of 'blasphemy' and is then prosecuted as such, even though 'apostasy' itself may not be a crime. Likewise, 'blasphemy' is sometimes considered a form/'evidence' of 'apostasy' and is then prosecuted as such, even though 'blasphemy' itself may not be a crime. Furthermore, apostasy and blasphemy tend to be closely legally linked to atheism. Formally, being an atheist itself is not an offence in any country, but in practice it is difficult to be an atheist without being able to become an atheist or while needing to keep it a secret to everyone that one is an atheist. Therefore, although there is a technical difference between becoming an atheist, being an atheist, and expressing that one is an atheist, some commentators frame the legal situation such that 'being an atheist is punishable by death' or that 'atheism is punishable by the death penalty' in some countries.

Apostasy

As of July 2020, apostasy by Muslims carries the death penalty in the following countries: Afghanistan, Brunei, Iran, the Maldives, Mauritania, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Malaysia's states Kelantan and Terengganu mandate the death penalty for apostasy, but federal law prohibits execution for this purpose, and so, it is never implemented in practice. Likewise in Nigeria, some northern states have adopted Sharia law, although execution for apostasy would violate the Federal Constitution, and it's therefore unclear whether death sentences are actually carried out.
As of July 2020, blasphemy can be punished by death in Afghanistan, Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Somalia.

Drug trafficking

Espionage

Fraud

Homosexuality and sodomy

and sodomy: Afghanistan, Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.
In July 2020, the sodomy law of Sudan, that previously punished gay men with up to 100 lashes for the first offence, five years in jail for the second and the death penalty the third time around, was abolished, with new legislation reducing the penalty to prison terms ranging from five years to life.

Perjury

causing the execution of an innocent person: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Central African Republic, Egypt, India, Iran, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, some U.S. States, Yemen. Most U.S. states, as well as most countries around the world that retain the death penalty, would normally would consider perjury causing execution of an innocent person as murder and punish it the same way, often by death or life without parole. In Nebraska and Colorado, perjury causing execution of an innocent person is considered by law as an act of first-degree murder, punishable by death or life without parole, whereas in California, perjury causing execution of an innocent person is a separate offense, and is separated from any of its murder laws, and is also punishable by death or life without parole, whereas first-degree murder is punished by death, life without parole or 25 years to life in prison. Some countries, such as Morocco, Mauritania and the Central African Republic punish perjury by death when any person who is innocent has been sentenced to death for any reason. Even if such execution does not occur, perjury causing someone to be sentenced to death in itself is a death-eligible offense in these countries.

Prostitution

Sorcery and witchcraft

and witchcraft: Central African Republic, Saudi Arabia, Iran.

Theft

Treason

Zoophilia

There have been no recorded executions so far.

Others

In the Central African Republic, one can be executed for charlatanism.