Lebanon abolishes the death penalty in a historic parliamentary vote

On August 11, 2026, the Lebanese parliament voted to abolish the death penalty, making Lebanon the first nation in the Middle East to take this legislative step. The decision was supported by the majority of the 128-seat parliament, with the exception of the Hezbollah parliamentary bloc. The new law mandates that the death penalty will be replaced with life imprisonment with hard labor, including for crimes committed prior to the law's enactment.

Justice Minister Adel Nassar hailed the decision as a historic milestone, noting that it will remove previous legal obstacles regarding the extradition of suspects from countries that have already abolished capital punishment. Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, welcomed the vote as a significant advancement for human rights in the region.

Although Lebanon had observed an unofficial moratorium on executions since January 2004, the courts had continued to issue capital sentences that were typically suspended or commuted. This legislative move marks a formal end to the practice after 22 years of inactivity regarding actual executions, solidifying a permanent shift in the nation's penal policy.