Lebanon votes to abolish death penalty, a first for Middle East

Lebanon's parliament has voted to abolish the death penalty, a move that, if completed, would make the country the first in the Middle East to formally end capital punishment.

The legislation was approved by a majority of lawmakers in the 128-seat parliament on Tuesday, despite opposition from Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc. The bill will now be considered by the cabinet before being sent to President Joseph Aoun for his signature. The government has already expressed its support for the measure.

Once enacted, the law would replace the death penalty with life imprisonment with hard labour. The legislation does not yet specify how this new sentence would be carried out. Hard labour is already part of Lebanese law but has rarely been implemented in recent years, largely because of the country's financial crisis and overcrowded prisons, which have limited authorities' resources and capacity.

Lebanon has not carried out an execution since January 2004, although courts have continued to issue death sentences. Rights groups estimate that more than 78 people remain on death row. Under existing law, capital punishment could be applied to serious offences, including aggravated murder, terrorism-related crimes resulting in death, treason, espionage, and offences against state security.

Tuesday's vote comes after more than two decades of a de facto moratorium on executions. Previously, an execution required a decree signed by the president, prime minister and justice minister, but no such decree has been signed since 2004. Earlier attempts to abolish the death penalty, including a 2004 parliamentary initiative and a 2008 justice ministry proposal, failed to gain enough support.

Civil society groups and lawyers have campaigned for years to remove capital punishment from Lebanon's legal system. Oragit Younan, co-founder of the Lebanese Association for Civil Rights, who led the campaign for nearly three decades, said the vote was a powerful statement. "We cannot solve a crime with a crime or end violence with violence," she told the BBC. "Even in this situation [of conflict], we can fight, we can struggle for human rights, and we can win. We can be a model for others."

Her comments come against the backdrop of continued unrest in the region. Lebanon's decision contrasts with recent developments in other Middle Eastern countries. Jordan resumed executions in June, carrying out its first since 2017. In Israel, parliament approved legislation in May to expand the circumstances in which capital punishment can be imposed, including for those involved in the Hamas-led attacks and mass hostage-taking in October 2023. The UN human rights chief has also voiced alarm over rising executions in Iran, where capital punishment has been used, in his words, "to instil fear among the population and suppress dissent".

Amnesty International and other groups have welcomed Lebanon's step, though they caution that the law still needs to be signed and implemented. The final text will also need to address how life imprisonment with hard labour will be enforced, a significant challenge given the state of Lebanon's prison system and its ongoing economic difficulties.

If enacted, Lebanon would become the first Middle Eastern country to formally abolish the death penalty, setting a precedent that could influence debates elsewhere in the region. For now, the vote is being seen as a victory for human rights advocates who have long argued that state-sanctioned killing has no place in a modern legal system.