Lebanon's parliament has voted to abolish the death penalty, marking a historic step that would make the country the first Arab state to formally end capital punishment.
A majority of lawmakers in the 128-member parliament backed the legislation on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. The bill will now proceed to the Cabinet before being referred to President Joseph Aoun for signature. The government has already expressed its support for the legislation.
Under the new law, death sentences would be replaced with life imprisonment with aggravated hard labour. While hard labour is already provided for under Lebanese law, it has rarely been implemented in recent years, partly due to the country's financial crisis and overcrowded prison system.
Lebanon has not carried out an execution since January 2004, although courts have continued to issue death sentences. Rights groups estimate that more than 78 people remain on death row.
Justice Minister Adel Nassar described the parliamentary vote as a "historic step" for Lebanon. The legislation follows years of advocacy by civil society organisations and lawyers seeking to remove capital punishment from Lebanese law.
The move places Lebanon at the forefront of abolition efforts in the Arab region and represents a significant development in the country's criminal justice framework.