Lebanon parliament votes to abolish death penalty

What the report says

Lebanon’s parliament has voted to abolish the death penalty, in a move that would make the country the first in the Middle East to formally end capital punishment if the measure completes the next steps in the legislative process. The vote passed by a majority in the 128-seat chamber on Tuesday, while Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc opposed it, according to the supplied reporting.

The legislation now goes to the cabinet for approval and then to President Joseph Aoun for signature. Lebanon’s government has already said it supports the change. Under the new law, capital punishment would be replaced by life imprisonment with hard labour, although the text does not yet spell out exactly how that sentence would be enforced.

The report adds that Lebanon has not carried out an execution since January 2004, even though courts have continued issuing death sentences. Rights groups estimate that more than 78 people are still on death row. In practice, the country has had a long-running moratorium, as executions required a presidential, prime ministerial and justice minister decree that has not been issued since 2004.

The vote follows years of campaigning by civil society groups and lawyers. More broadly, it comes at a time when capital punishment remains a contested issue across the Middle East, with some states continuing or expanding its use and others facing criticism from rights monitors.