Lebanon's parliament has voted to abolish the death penalty, making it the first country in the Middle East to formally end capital punishment. A majority of Members of Parliament (MPs) in the 128-seat parliament supported the measure on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. The legislation will now proceed to the cabinet before being sent to President Joseph Aoun for signing.
This landmark decision replaces capital punishment with life imprisonment with hard labour. The government has already expressed its support for the measure. Lebanon has not carried out an execution since January 2004, despite courts continuing to hand down death sentences. Rights groups estimate that more than 78 people currently remain on death row.
This move fits into a broader global trend towards abolishing capital punishment, though its implementation in Lebanon faces challenges. The country's ongoing financial crisis and overcrowded prisons have limited the authorities' resources and capacity. Hard labour, while written into Lebanese law, has rarely been enforced in recent years.
Oragit Younan, co-founder of the Lebanese Association for Civil Rights, told the BBC that "We cannot solve a crime with a crime or end violence with violence." She led a nearly three-decade campaign to abolish the death penalty in Lebanon. Her organisation's persistence highlights the power of sustained advocacy in shaping national policy.
The legislation follows more than two decades of a de facto moratorium on executions. An execution required a decree signed by the president, prime minister, and justice minister, but no such decree has been signed since 2004. This de facto moratorium provided a foundation for the formal abolition.
Under Lebanese law, the death penalty was previously imposed for serious offences. These included aggravated murder, certain terrorism-related crimes resulting in death, treason, espionage, and offences against state security. Previous attempts to abolish the death penalty, including legislation in 2004 and a justice ministry proposal in 2008, had failed.
This development in Lebanon contrasts sharply with trends in other parts of the Middle East. Jordan resumed executions in June, carrying out its first since 2017. In Israel, its parliament approved legislation in May to expand the circumstances under which capital punishment can be imposed. This new law targets those involved in the Hamas-led attacks and mass hostage-taking in October 2023.
The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, has also expressed alarm over a rise in executions in Iran. He noted that capital punishment continues to be used "to instil fear among the population and suppress dissent." In Iran, at least 56 people had been executed on national security-related charges since March 19, including 27 linked to January's nationwide anti-government protests.
The next step for Lebanon's legislation is cabinet review and then presidential signing. The effective implementation of life imprisonment with hard labour will be crucial to watch. This will require addressing the resource constraints posed by the country's economic challenges and prison conditions. This decision could serve as a model for human rights advocacy across the region.