Lebanon becomes first Middle East country to abolish death penalty

Lebanon's parliament voted on Tuesday to abolish the death penalty, replacing it with life imprisonment with hard labour. The decision, backed by a majority of the 128-seat legislature, marks a historic turning point for the country and the wider Middle East region, where capital punishment remains on the books in every other state.

A decades-long moratorium ends in formal abolition

Lebanon had not carried out an execution since January 2004, maintaining a de facto moratorium for more than two decades. Courts continued issuing death sentences, however, leaving an estimated 78 people on death row. Under the old system, an execution required a decree co-signed by the president, prime minister, and justice minister — a threshold that went unmet since 2004.

The new law, once signed by President Joseph Aoun, will formally eliminate capital punishment for all offences, including aggravated murder, terrorism-related crimes resulting in death, and treason. Hard labour, already inscribed in Lebanese law but seldom enforced, will become the accompanying condition of life sentences.

Hezbollah bloc opposes the measure

The vote was not unanimous. Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc voted against abolition, reflecting divisions within the chamber. The legislation will next go to the cabinet for endorsement before heading to the president's desk; the government has already signalled its support.

Civil society celebrates a 30-year campaign

The result caps nearly three decades of advocacy by civil society organisations and legal professionals. Oragit Younan, co-founder of the Lebanese Association for Civil Rights and a central figure in the abolition campaign, told the BBC: "We cannot solve a crime with a crime or end violence with violence." She added that even in a country still marked by conflict, it was possible to "fight for human rights and win."