Human Rights, Justice & Society
Lebanon parliament abolishes death penalty
Lebanon's parliament voted Tuesday to abolish the death penalty, a decision UN rights chief Volker Turk praised while urging other countries in the Middle East and North Africa to follow.
Turk said Lebanon was now the first country in the region to formally abolish capital punishment. He called on other countries that still maintain the death penalty to end what he called an inhumane practice.
Turk also called for the law to be presented swiftly to Lebanon's president for approval and signature so it could be brought into full effect.
Lebanon had not carried out an execution since 2004, but courts were still issuing death sentences, including one on Monday. Capital punishment had applied to major crimes including murder, terrorism and espionage.
Amnesty International said at least 85 people were on death row in Lebanon by January. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the most severe crimes would now carry life sentences with aggravated hard labour.
Justice Minister Adel Nassar called the abolition historic and said the possibility of capital punishment had previously prevented Beirut from obtaining the extradition of suspects from countries where the death penalty has been outlawed.
Independent lawmaker Firas Hamdan welcomed the vote, while France, the European Union, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon also praised the move.
Capital punishment is still used elsewhere in the region. Amnesty International recorded more than 2,000 executions in Iran and more than 350 in Saudi Arabia last year. Jordan hanged six men convicted of killing security personnel in June, ending a nine-year moratorium.
Update
UN rights chief Volker Turk called for the law to be sent swiftly to Lebanon's president for approval and signature so it can be brought into full effect.
Source note: AFP news report published on 11 August 2026 at 16:37:21 UTC.
Update
UN rights chief Volker Turk commended Lebanon's decision to abolish the death penalty.
Turk urged other Middle East and North Africa countries that retain the death penalty to follow Lebanon's lead.
Turk said Lebanon is now the first country in the region to formally abolish the death penalty.
Source note: AFP news report published on 11 August 2026 at 16:22:29 UTC.
Update
Lebanon had continued issuing death sentences, including one on Monday, despite not carrying out executions since 2004.
Amnesty International said at least 85 people were on death row in Lebanon by January.
Lebanon's National News Agency said the most severe crimes will now carry life sentences with aggravated hard labour.
France, the European Union, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon welcomed the move.
Amnesty International urged Lebanon to commute all death sentences and ratify the key international treaty on abolition.
AFP provided regional death penalty context, including executions recorded by Amnesty International in Iran and Saudi Arabia last year and Jordan's execution of six men in June.
Source note: AFP news report published on 11 August 2026 at 16:09:24 UTC.
Update
Lebanon had not carried out an execution since 2004.
Justice Minister Adel Nassar said capital punishment had hindered extraditions from countries where it is outlawed.
Human Rights Watch's Ramzi Kaiss welcomed the abolition as a human rights step.
The abolition came during a legislative session that also included long-debated general amnesty legislation.
Source note: AFP news report published on 11 August 2026 at 12:07:03 UTC.
Update
The speaker of parliament's office said the draft law abolishing the death penalty was approved after amendments.
Source note: AFP news report published on 11 August 2026 at 11:54:33 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The supplied material does not state when Lebanon's president will consider or sign the law.
Source
AFP news report published on .