Lebanon Abolishes Death Penalty, First in Middle East Amid Regional 'Execution Frenzy'

Lebanon has made history by becoming the first country in the Middle East to abolish the death penalty. The nation's parliament passed a bill to completely end capital punishment, a significant move that stands in contrast to the practices of several regional neighbors.

The vote saw a majority of the 128 members of parliament support the abolition, with the notable exception of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, which voted against the measure. The legislation, which replaces the death penalty with life imprisonment involving hard labor, now awaits approval from the cabinet and President Joseph Aoun. This makes Lebanon the 129th country globally to abolish capital punishment.

Lebanon has not carried out an execution since 2004, leading to its classification as a de facto abolitionist state. However, death sentences continued to be issued, and currently, 85 individuals convicted of crimes such as murder and espionage are on death row. The campaign to abolish the death penalty in Lebanon has been ongoing for over 40 years, spearheaded by figures like Dr. Walid Sleiman, considered a key figure in the Middle East's abolitionist movement. The newly passed law is named in his honor.

This legislative achievement is also attributed to the presence of individuals with strong backgrounds in international human rights standards within the Lebanese government, such as former International Court of Justice President Nawaf Salam and International Arbitration Court judge Adnan Nassar. The move comes at a time when other regional powers are taking opposing stances. Israel recently passed a law mandating the death penalty for terrorists convicted of causing death, while Iran has seen a significant increase in executions, with reports indicating at least 2,159 executions in the previous year and at least 463 political prisoners and anti-government protesters executed this year.