BEIRUT — Lebanon’s parliament has voted to abolish the death penalty, replacing capital punishment with life imprisonment with aggravated hard labour, in a move that would make Lebanon the first country in the Middle East to formally end the practice, according to Lebanese officials and international bodies.
The 128-member parliament approved the legislation on Aug. 11 after amendments were made to the bill, the office of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said. A majority backed the measure, while the Hezbollah parliamentary bloc did not support it, according to reports from the session.
The legislation still requires promulgation by President Joseph Aoun before it enters into force. The United Nations and European Union welcomed the parliamentary vote and urged Lebanon to complete the remaining legal steps.
Justice Minister Adel Nassar, who attended the parliamentary session, described the abolition as a “historic step” for Lebanon, according to reports of his remarks. Amnesty International also welcomed the vote, calling it a major milestone in the country’s human rights record.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the decision represented a commitment to the right to life and urged other countries that retain capital punishment to follow Lebanon’s lead. He also called for the legislation to be sent promptly to the president for approval.
The European Union said the abolition applies to all crimes, including retroactively, and described the measure as an important achievement. The bloc noted that Lebanon had maintained a de facto moratorium on executions since 2004.
Lebanon has not carried out an execution since 2004, but courts continued to issue death sentences while capital punishment remained part of the legal system. The Lebanese Ministry of Justice’s Directorate of Prisons reported that 85 people were facing death sentences at the end of January 2026.
The abolition follows years of legislative and civil-society campaigning. A proposal to eliminate capital punishment had advanced through parliamentary committees before reaching the full chamber. Earlier in July, parliament had postponed consideration of the measure after a dispute over related provisions and the parliamentary quorum.
The abolitionist group Together Against the Death Penalty said Lebanon would become the 115th country worldwide to abolish capital punishment once President Aoun promulgates the law. It said Lebanon would also need to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to reinforce the abolition under international law.
The legislation is therefore not yet fully in force pending presidential approval and promulgation.
