Lebanon becomes first Middle Eastern state to abolish capital punishment

Lebanon’s parliament has formally abolished the death penalty, establishing the country as the first in the Middle East to enact such legislation. The decision was confirmed by the speaker of parliament’s office on Tuesday, which stated that the draft law had been approved following the introduction of amendments.

The move removes capital punishment from the national statute books, although Lebanon has not carried out an execution since 2004. The abolition was passed during a legislative session that also includes a general amnesty law, a measure that has been under debate for several years.

Justice Minister Adel Nassar described the legislative change as historic. He noted that the continued existence of the death penalty had previously hindered Beirut’s ability to secure the extradition of suspects from nations that have outlawed capital punishment.

Ramzi Kaiss, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, characterised the decision as a monumental step for human rights in the country. He described the abolition as a clear break from what he termed a cruel and arbitrary sentence that should never be imposed.

The legislative shift occurs against a backdrop of broader regional and global developments. On the same day, Russian forces launched missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia, while a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia.