-
Lebanon is the first country in the Middle East to abolish the death penalty
The Lebanese Parliament has passed a law abolishing the death penalty, moving the country from a practical moratorium since 2004 to full legislative abolition. With this move, Lebanon becomes the first state in the Middle East to abolish capital punishment for all crimes.
The law’s passage faced political objections: MPs from Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement protested the abolition and walked out of the session, but the Parliament proceeded to approve the bill.
The Justice Ministry said in a statement after the vote that abolishing the death penalty does not mean "leniency toward serious crimes" or a diminution of victims' rights. It argued that stringent alternative penalties ensure accountability and protect society, while avoiding an irreversible punishment if subsequent errors in investigation, evidence, or trial are discovered. The ministry added that "the strength of justice is measured not by its power to end a condenmed person's life but by its ability to uncover the truth, vindicate victims, and punish perpetrators within the guarantees of the rule of law."
Lebanon had effectively stopped carrying out death sentences since January 17, 2004, although the death penalty remained on the statute books and courts continued to hand down such verdicts. With the new law enacted and published, Lebanon moves from a de facto moratorium to statutory abolition.
The joint parliamentary committees’ draft stipulated the removal of the death penalty "wherever it appears in Lebanese laws" and its replacement with "aggravated lifelong hard labor," along with the repeal of provisions governing its execution. During the session, MPs approved an amendment proposed by MP Abdurrahman al-Bizri introducing a temporal distinction between crimes committed before and after the law’s entry into force. Under the announced wording, death sentences for prior crimes would be converted to lifelong hard labor, while crimes committed after the law takes effect would carry "aggravated lifelong hard labor."
Once the law is published in its announced form, Lebanon will be the first country in the Middle East to abolish the death penalty for all crimes and the second Arab country after Djibouti (which abolished it in 1995) to do so, marking the formal shift from a practical moratorium to full legislative abolition.
