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Lebanon Parliament Abolishes Death Penalty, First in Middle East

8/11/2026

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Center

Parliament Abolishes Death Penalty

Lebanon’s 128-member parliament voted on Tuesday to abolish the death penalty, replacing it with life imprisonment and aggravated hard labor.
The Hezbollah parliamentary bloc voted against the abolition, marking the only organized opposition.
Justice Minister Adel Nassar officially called the vote a historic step for Lebanon.
Human Rights Watch researcher Ramzi Kaiss said the reform ends a cruel, arbitrary sentence.

Left

Lebanon Parliament Abolishes

Lebanon’s parliament abolished the death penalty on Tuesday, substituting it with life imprisonment and aggravated hard labor.
The change came after sustained advocacy by Lebanese and international civil-society groups demanding an end to state-sanctioned killing.
The European Union praised Lebanon as the first Middle East nation to end capital punishment.
As of January 2026, 85 prisoners remained on Lebanon’s death row.

Blindspot

Blindspot

Human Rights Watch researcher Ramzi Kaiss said the abolition marks a final break from a cruel and arbitrary sentence.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Center-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Left-leaning coverage.

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Parliament Abolishes Death Penalty

Lebanon’s 128-member parliament voted on Tuesday to abolish the death penalty, replacing it with life imprisonment and aggravated hard labor.
The Hezbollah parliamentary bloc voted against the abolition, marking the only organized opposition.
Justice Minister Adel Nassar officially called the vote a historic step for Lebanon.
Human Rights Watch researcher Ramzi Kaiss said the reform ends a cruel, arbitrary sentence.

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