Parliament Votes to Abolish Death Penalty

Parliament has voted to abolish the death penalty in Lebanon, potentially making it the first Middle Eastern country to formally end capital punishment.

“We can fight, we can struggle for human rights, and we can win. We can be a model for others,” said Oragit Younan, co-founder of the Lebanese Association for Civil Rights.

A majority of the 128-seat parliament backed legislation replacing capital punishment with life imprisonment with hard labour, following nearly three decades of campaigning by civil society groups and lawyers. Lebanon has not carried out an execution since January 2004, although courts have continued issuing death sentences and more than 78 people are estimated to remain on death row. The legislation will now go to the supportive cabinet before being sent to President Joseph Aoun for signature.