Lebanon makes history with death penalty abolition

Lebanon’s Parliament on Tuesday voted to abolish the death penalty, replacing capital punishment with life imprisonment with hard labor in a landmark move that makes Lebanon the first country in the Arab world to formally end the practice.

A majority of the 128-member Parliament voted in favor of the legislation, while the Hezbollah parliamentary bloc and MPs from the Free Patriotic Movement opposed the measure.

Justice Minister Adel Nassar, who was present in Parliament for the vote, described the decision as a “historic step” for Lebanon.

The vote was also welcomed by rights groups that have long called on Lebanon to formalize its de facto moratorium on executions or abolish the death penalty altogether.

Lebanon has not carried out executions since 2004 and Tuesday’s vote formalized the practice. The bill will now make its way to the cabinet for approval before being signed by President Joseph Aoun. The cabinet’s head, Nawaf Salam, a former International Court of Justice judge, supports the move.

The abolition comes as Parliament is also moving forward with a controversial general amnesty law, placing two major changes to Lebanon’s criminal justice system at the center of the country’s political debate.

International praise

The parliamentary vote quickly drew widespread international praise, with governments, diplomats and international organizations describing it as a significant step for human rights and institutional reform in Lebanon.

Italy was among the first to react. The Italian Embassy in Beirut called it “a historic day for Lebanon,” saying the country had chosen life, human dignity and justice without vengeance. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani likewise praised the decision, describing it as a move that “honours Lebanon and its institutions.”

France also welcomed the vote. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot highlighted Lebanon’s position as the first country in the Middle East to abolish the death penalty and recalled that abolition had been among the commitments made by Justice Minister Adel Nassar at the World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Paris in June. Barrot said the commitment had now been fulfilled and reaffirmed France’s support for Lebanon as it continues its reform process.

The United Kingdom, Switzerland, Spain and Germany similarly welcomed the decision. British Ambassador to Lebanon Hamish Cowell called Parliament’s vote “historic” and congratulated those who had worked for years to achieve abolition. Switzerland described the decision as a strong and positive signal for the region and beyond, while Spain formally congratulated Lebanon on what its Foreign Ministry called the historic parliamentary approval of the abolition law. Germany’s Embassy in Beirut described the decision as an important step for human rights.

Canada and Belgium also joined the international chorus of praise. Canada called the vote an important step toward strengthening human rights, while Canadian Ambassador Gregory Galligan reiterated that his country opposes capital punishment in all cases and everywhere. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot called the vote a historic decision and reaffirmed Belgium’s opposition to the death penalty “always and everywhere.”

The congratulations continued across Europe. Luxembourg’s Foreign Ministry applauded Lebanon, saying the decision reflected the Lebanese people’s attachment to fundamental rights. Dutch Ambassador to Lebanon Frank Mollen congratulated Justice Minister Adel Nassar and the MPs who supported abolition, while Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna described the decision as “very important” and a welcome historic step forward for human rights in Lebanon.

The reaction extended beyond individual governments. The European Union formally congratulated Lebanon, saying that, as the first country in the region to abolish the death penalty, it was setting a “powerful example” for the Middle East and beyond.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also commended Parliament’s decision and urged other countries that still retain capital punishment to follow Lebanon’s lead.

Taken together, the international reactions transformed what began as a domestic parliamentary vote into a broader moment for Lebanon’s human rights record.