Lebanon Parliament Votes to Abolish Death Penalty

Lebanon's parliament voted Tuesday to abolish capital punishment, making it the first country in the Middle East with a formal ban on the death penalty.

A majority of the 128-seat parliament backed the measure, while Hezbollah’s bloc opposed it. The bill is now headed to the cabinet and then to President Joseph Aoun for signature, with the government already signalling its support.

Lebanon has not carried out an execution since January 2004, yet courts continue to hand down death sentences and more than 78 prisoners remain on death row, according to rights groups.

Under the new law, capital punishment will be replaced by life imprisonment with hard labour – an element already codified in Lebanese law but rarely used due to financial strains and overcrowded prisons.

The reform follows years of campaigning by civil society groups and lawyers. Oragit Younan, co‑founder of the Lebanese Association for Civil Rights, said: “We cannot solve a crime with a crime; we can still fight for human rights even in war.”

The vote continues a de‑facto moratorium on executions that have been absent since 2004; previously, executions required a triple‑signed decree, none of which has been issued.

Historically, Lebanon's death penalty could be imposed for aggravated murder, certain terrorist offences, treason, espionage and state‑security crimes. Earlier attempts to abolish it in 2004 and 2008 failed.

Lebanon’s move contrasts with regional trends: Jordan resumed executions in June, while Israel expanded circumstances for capital punishment in a new law passed earlier this year.

Globally, the UN chief warned that Iran’s rise in executions is “to instil fear among the population and suppress dissent.”