Countries With Harshest / Longest Sentences for Murder

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Where’s the best and worst places to be convicted of murder?

So, if you’re going on your hols, and (over a few complimentary cocktails) you plan to pop off your papa, mangle your momma, shred up your sis or boil your bro, here’s a list of countries to avoid:

Startlingly, more than 60% of the world still has the death penalty for murder, so avoid; China, India, some states in the USA, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, among all mostly Islamic countries, as well as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

If convicted, the following countries do not have a minimum term of sentence before parole is considered; Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Belize, Egypt, Estonia, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Loas, Lebanon, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, China (denied only for violent crimes) and Cuba (only if pardoned by President).

Longest minimum sentence for murder before parole is considered is Turkey (24-40 years) and shortest is Canada (7 years, eh?). And although most countries have no maximum sentence for murder, the average sentence is usually between 15-25 years, the longest sentences for murder are in Albania, Armenia, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador and the Vatican City (yes, home of The Pope, 30-35 years), Croatia, Honduras, Kosovo, Serbia and Spain (40 years). Rising up to Costa Rica and Bosnia & Herzegovina (45), Panama (50), and Mexico (60 years, or 70 years if involving kidnapping), and longest maximum sentence for murder is Columbia and El Salvador (75 years). But then again, Britain does currently have a whole life tariff for 72 murderers, so we win.

Of course, if anyone touches my cakes, that’s an instant death sentence. No trial. No jury. Just death. The Queen does it herself, she grabs her Royal Axe and knocks your dirty block off. Failing that, she’ll insist you’re a passenger, in a car, driven by Prince Phillip. Good luck to you all.

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If you found this interesting? Check out the Mini Mile episodes of the Murder Mile UK True-Crime Podcast, or click on the link below to listen to an episode.

Michael J Buchanan-Dunne is a writer, crime historian, podcaster and tour-guide who runs Murder Mile Walks, a guided tour of Soho’s most notorious murder cases, hailed as “one of the top ten curious, quirky, unusual and different things to do in London”, nominated "one of the best true-crime  podcasts at the British Podcast Awards 2018", and featuring 12 murderers, including 3 serial killers, across 15 locations, totaling 50 deaths, over just a one mile walk