Lebanon becomes first Middle East nation to abolish death penalty

Lebanon's parliament has voted to abolish the death penalty, making it the first country in the Middle East to formally end capital punishment. The move replaces all existing death sentences with life imprisonment combined with aggravated hard labor.

Lebanon had not carried out an execution since 2004, though dozens of people remained on death row during that period. At the end of 2025, 85 people were facing death sentences under the old law.

A majority of Lebanon's 128-member parliament voted in favor of the measure. The parliamentary bloc of Hezbollah voted against the abolition.

Justice Minister Adel Nassar called the step "historic," noting that the previous existence of capital punishment had prevented Beirut from obtaining the extradition of suspects from countries where the death penalty has been outlawed.

International human rights organizations and governments welcomed the decision. The European Union said Lebanon was setting "a powerful example for other countries" in the Middle East and beyond. Amnesty International's Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Heba Morayef, described the abolition as "a major milestone and a victory for human rights in the country," stating it transforms "a precarious hiatus in executions into lasting legal protection."

The abolition was approved as part of a broader legislative session that includes discussion of a general amnesty law, which has been debated for years and is partly intended to address overcrowding in Lebanon's prisons.