Lebanon’s parliament votes to end death penalty, first in Middle East to so
Summary
Lebanon’s parliament has passed a law to end the death penalty, making it the first Middle Eastern country to do so. The new law replaces the death sentence with life imprisonment that includes hard labor, although the exact details of this punishment are not yet clear.Key Facts
- Lebanon’s parliament voted to abolish the death penalty with a majority of the 128 members in favor.
- Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc was the only group opposing the law.
- The death penalty has not been officially carried out in Lebanon since 2004, but courts still issued death sentences until now.
- At the end of 2025, 85 people in Lebanon were still sentenced to death.
- The new punishment replaces the death sentence with life imprisonment and aggravated hard labor.
- Lebanon’s prisons are overcrowded, and carrying out hard labor has been rare due to limited resources.
- Amnesty International called Lebanon’s decision a major step for human rights and aligned with global trends.
- Lebanon is also discussing a general amnesty law that could reduce or cancel some prison sentences, which has caused protests by families of soldiers killed in attacks.
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