Until death: Inside Nepal’s harshest punishment

Nepal has no death penalty. Instead, it has life imprisonment until death — a sentence with no release date.An investigation by Kantipur shows who receives this sentence, how it is applied, and what justice means for victims, prisoners, and the state.

At dusk on June 17, Mohammad Abbas Ansari stood by the window of his cell at Morang Prison. At the window to his left, another inmate — about his age — was speaking with his mother. From outside the prison wall, she tried to reassure him, “Don’t worry too much. Only 34 days left until you’re released.”