Lebanon Abolishes Death Penalty, Becoming First Arab Country to Do So Despite Hezbollah Opposition

Lebanon's parliament approved a historic law on Tuesday abolishing the death penalty, replacing it with life imprisonment and hard labor. This move makes Lebanon the first Arab country to officially remove the death penalty from its legal system. The parliamentary vote, involving 128 members, saw broad support except for Hezbollah's faction, which opposed the measure. Although Lebanon had not carried out executions since 2004, the death penalty remained codified in law and was still sentenced in some cases but never enforced.

Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar hailed the legislation as a "historic step," while human rights organizations praised the decision. Ramzy Kays, a Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch, described it as a definitive break from a cruel punishment that should never have been imposed. However, questions remain about how the new sentence of "enhanced hard labor" will be implemented, with some parliamentarians admitting the details are unclear. Lebanon's prisons also face overcrowding and resource shortages, complicating enforcement.

The abolition coincides with ongoing debates over a general amnesty law that could reduce sentences and allow early release for certain prisoners. This proposal has met resistance from families of Lebanese soldiers and security personnel killed or injured by Islamist groups. Hezbollah opposed abolishing the death penalty before passing the amnesty law, fearing that combining the two could lead to significant sentence reductions for those who harmed its members.