Lebanon's parliament has passed a law abolishing capital punishment, making it the first country in the Middle East to do so. The move has been hailed as a historic milestone by human rights groups, though it comes amid contentious debates over a separate amnesty law.

The parliament speaker's office said lawmakers approved the legislation on Tuesday after introducing several amendments. A majority of the 128-member assembly voted in favor of ending the death penalty, with the exception of the Hezbollah parliamentary bloc, which opposed the measure.

Justice Minister Adel Nassar, present in parliament, called it a "historic step" for the nation. The new system replaces the death sentence with life imprisonment with aggravated hard labor, according to the legislation.

While Lebanon has observed an unofficial moratorium on executions since January 2004, courts have continued to issue dozens of death sentences. At the end of 2025, 85 people were facing execution, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Justice's Directorate of Prisons.

Heba Morayef, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa director, praised Lebanon's move as "a major milestone and a victory for human rights in the country." She added, "After more than two decades without executions, today's step transforms a precarious hiatus in executions into lasting legal protection upholding the right to life and bringing Lebanon in line with the global trend towards abolition."

However, questions remain over how aggravated hard labor would be enforced. Some legislators noted that the terms of the new punishment are not yet clear. Lebanon does have hard labor written into law and court decisions, but it has rarely been enforced in recent years due to the cash-strapped nation's lack of resources and capacity within its overcrowded prisons.

The abolition of the death penalty comes as parliament also debates a controversial general amnesty law, the largest since the end of its 15-year civil war in 1990. The law could reduce sentences or even release some individuals convicted of violent offenses.

Family members of Lebanese soldiers and servicemen killed in attacks have repeatedly protested against the amnesty law, with some expressing disappointment that perpetrators might receive reduced sentences rather than execution. The debate highlights the ongoing tension between human rights advocacy and public demands for justice.

Source: www.aljazeera.com