The Lebanese Parliament voted on Tuesday to abolish the capital punishment framework, making Lebanon the first Arab and Middle East nation to formally ban executions and establish a permanent legal protection for the right to life, according to reports from multiple news outlets.
Lawmakers approved the historic legislation following the introduction of key parliamentary amendments, according to coverage by the Lebanese National News Agency cited in reports by El Correo Gallego. The vote transforms what had been an unofficial moratorium into permanent judicial statute. Authorities in Beirut had maintained a de facto pause on executions since 2004, leaving dozens of inmates in legal limbo until Tuesday’s legislative action.
Under the newly enacted text, offenses previously punishable by execution will instead carry sentences of life imprisonment and aggravated life imprisonment, according to parliamentary details reported by El Correo Gallego. The reform applies retroactively, meaning that dozens of prisoners currently on death row will see their sentences altered. According to figures from the Prisons Directorate of the Lebanese Ministry of Justice cited by El Tiempo, at least 85 individuals remained on death row in the country at the end of January 2026.
Parliamentary Hurdles and Legislative Path
The path to abolition faced significant political friction in the weeks leading up to the vote. A scheduled attempt to pass the legislation on July 16 stalled when the parliamentary bloc representing the Lebanese Forces withdrew from the session, effectively blocking the vote, as reported by El Correo Gallego and El Tiempo. Lawmakers successfully restored the measure to the top of the legislative agenda on Tuesday, securing approval after incorporating necessary revisions into the text.
The vote occurred alongside broader legislative debates concerning general amnesty proposals that have circulated within Parliament for years, according to reporting by El Tiempo. Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar spoke to local media following the vote, emphasizing that the decision reclaims the country’s role as a pioneer in the region as a defender of human rights. According to El Correo Gallego and El Tiempo, Minister Nassar stated that by abolishing capital punishment, Lebanon chose to combat murder rather than utilize the death penalty, while clarifying that the removal of executions does not equate to leniency for serious crimes because “the deprivation of liberty is not clemency.”
International Reactions and Human Rights Advocacy
Human rights organizations and international bodies swiftly welcomed the legislative milestone, praising the country for aligning its domestic legal framework with global abolitionist trends. Heba Morayef, the Middle East and North Africa director for Amnesty International, described the vote as an important milestone and a victory for human rights, noting that the decision converts a precarious suspension into a durable legal shield, according to El Correo Gallego and El Tiempo. Morayef also emphasized that the legislative change resulted from decades of advocacy by local human rights defenders who fought against a cruel and irreversible punishment.
Ramzi Kaiss, a Lebanon researcher for Human Rights Watch, characterized the decision to Agence France-Presse, as reported by El Tiempo, as a monumental step for human rights that breaks decisively with an arbitrary and cruel sentencing practice. Meanwhile, the European Union offered formal congratulations through the bloc’s diplomatic leadership. Kaja Kallas, speaking on behalf of the 27 member states, congratulated Lebanon on passing the law following announcements made during the Ninth World Congress Against the Death Penalty held in Paris on June 30, according to El Tiempo.
Next Steps for Lebanon’s Judiciary
While human rights advocates have praised the parliamentary vote, organizations like Amnesty International have urged the Lebanese government to ensure that the legislative text translates immediately into practical enforcement. Specifically, advocates called on authorities to formally commute all remaining death row sentences, ratify key international treaties concerning abolition—such as the treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989—and pursue broader structural reforms to strengthen a judiciary aligned with international human rights standards, as reported by El Correo Gallego and El Tiempo.