Lebanon becomes first Arab nation to abolish death penalty

Aug 11, 2026

The Lebanese parliament has voted to abolish the death penalty, making Lebanon the first Arab nation to formally end capital punishment. Approved by a majority of the 128-member parliament on August 11, 2026, the legislation replaces death sentences with life imprisonment with aggravated hard labour. While Justice Minister Adel Nassar and human rights groups hailed the step as historic, Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc opposed the measure. The decision formalizes a de facto moratorium on executions maintained since January 2004.

Lebanon death penalty abolition

▪Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar described the parliamentary vote to abolish the death penalty as a historic step for the country.
▪Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar stated that the threat of capital punishment had previously prevented Lebanon from securing the extradition of suspects from countries where the death penalty is outlawed.
▪The Lebanese parliament voted on August 11, 2026 to abolish the death penalty, making Lebanon the first country in the Middle East and the Arab world to formally end capital punishment.

Parliamentary vote outcome

▪The legislation to abolish the death penalty was approved by a majority of the 128-member Lebanese parliament on August 11, 2026.
▪The approved legislation to abolish the death penalty must go to the Lebanese cabinet before being passed to President Joseph Aoun for signing.
▪The draft legislation to abolish the death penalty was originally submitted to the Lebanese parliament in October 2025 by MP Abdul Rahman al-Bizri and was backed by seven lawmakers.

Hezbollah bloc opposition

▪Hezbollah offered no immediate comment following the parliamentary vote to abolish the death penalty on August 11, 2026.
▪Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc opposed and voted against the legislation to abolish the death penalty in Lebanon.

Life imprisonment replacement sentence

▪Under the amended Lebanese law, crimes committed before the legislation takes effect will be punished by life imprisonment, while offences committed after will carry aggravated life imprisonment.
▪Several Lebanese lawmakers acknowledged that the exact parameters and enforcement of the new aggravated hard labour sentence are yet to be defined.
▪The newly approved Lebanese legislation replaces the death penalty with life imprisonment with aggravated hard labour.

Civil society advocacy campaign

▪Lebanon has maintained a de facto moratorium on executions since January 2004, though courts have continued to issue dozens of death sentences.
▪The Lebanese Association for Civil Rights, co-founded by Ogarit Younan, led a nearly three-decade campaign to abolish the death penalty in Lebanon.
▪The Lebanese Ministry of Justice's Directorate of Prisons reported that 85 people were facing death sentences in Lebanon at the end of 2025.

First Arab nation milestone

▪The abolition of the death penalty in Lebanon occurs as Jordan resumed executions in June 2026, and Israel's parliament approved legislation expanding capital punishment circumstances.
▪Lebanon's vote makes it the first Arab nation and the first country in the Middle East to formally abolish the death penalty.