Lebanon's parliament officially voted to abolish the death penalty, making it the first country in the Middle East to do so and earning widespread praise from international organizations and human rights groups.
On Tuesday, 11 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Lebanon's parliament passed a vote to abolish the death penalty, making Lebanon the first country in the Middle East to officially end this form of punishment. Henceforth, the most serious crimes will be punished by life imprisonment with hard labor instead.
Although Lebanon has not carried out any executions since 2004, courts continued to issue death sentences. The most recent sentence was handed down last Monday. Amnesty International reported that as of January, at least 85 inmates were still on death row in Lebanon.
Generally, the death penalty was applied in cases involving serious crimes such as murder, terrorism, and espionage.
Adil Nassar, Lebanon's Minister of Justice, described the abolition of the death penalty as a "historic event," noting that previously, the existence of the death penalty was an obstacle preventing Lebanon from requesting extradition from countries that had already abolished capital punishment.
Firas Hamdan, an independent member of parliament, posted on X congratulating this development and thanking "everyone involved over more than two decades until this achievement today."
Additionally, the United Nations (UN) praised Lebanon's abolition of the death penalty. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called on Lebanon's Middle Eastern neighbors to follow its example.
He added that this move demonstrates a "powerful commitment and adherence to the right to life" in a country facing wartime challenges.
Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) said Lebanon has "set a powerful example for other countries in the Middle East and beyond." France, Lebanon’s former colonial power, described the decision as "courageous and historic."
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Source:cna