Lebanese lawmakers voted on August 11, 2026, to abolish the death penalty, making Lebanon the first country in the Middle East to formally end capital punishment [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The decision was approved by a majority of MPs in the 128-seat parliament [1, 2, 4, 5].
The new law replaces the death penalty with life imprisonment, which includes aggravated hard labour [1, 3, 4]. However, there are questions about how hard labour will be enforced amid Lebanon’s financial crisis and overcrowded prisons [1, 4].
Lebanon has observed a de facto moratorium on executions since January 2004, when the last execution was carried out, and no death sentences have been carried out since then due to the requirement of a decree that has not been issued [1, 2, 4]. Despite the moratorium, courts continued to sentence people to death, with an estimated 78 to 85 people remaining on death row as of late 2025 to mid-2026 [1, 4].
The abolition comes after decades of campaigning by civil society groups and multiple past legislative attempts that failed [1]. Oragit Younan, co-founder of the Lebanese Association for Civil Rights, said, "We cannot solve a crime with a crime or end violence with violence... We can be a model for others" [1].
The parliamentary bloc of Hezbollah opposed the abolition [1, 4]. Justice Minister Adel Nassar described the vote as a "historic step" for Lebanon [3].
International human rights groups praised the decision. Amnesty International’s Regional Director Heba Morayef said, "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..." [2]. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk commended the abolition and called for other countries to follow Lebanon’s lead [5].
Separately, Lebanon’s parliament is debating a general amnesty law to reduce prison overcrowding [2, 4]. The new abolition law must now be sent to Lebanon’s cabinet and then to President Joseph Aoun for signing before it takes effect [1, 5].
