Lebanon Parliament Abolishes Death Penalty

Lebanon’s parliament has abolished the death penalty, making the country the first in the Middle East to formally end capital punishment.

The decision was approved on Tuesday as lawmakers considered a series of bills during the current legislative session.

“The draft law aimed at abolishing the death penalty in Lebanon was approved,” the parliament speaker’s office said.

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Lebanon had not carried out an execution since 2004, although courts continued to hand down death sentences.

Lebanon Justice Minister Adel Nassar. — Justice Minister Adel Nassar. Credit: L’Orient Today – L’Orient-Le Jour.

Justice Minister Adel Nassar described the move as “historic”, saying capital punishment had previously made it difficult for Beirut to secure the extradition of suspects from countries where the death penalty is banned.

Ramzi Kaiss, a Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch, called the decision “a monumental step for human rights in the country.”

He said the move represented a clear break from what he described as a cruel and arbitrary punishment.

The abolition bill is part of a wider set of proposed laws being considered by parliament, including a long-debated general amnesty law.

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