Lebanon abolishes death penalty in landmark parliament vote

Beirut, Lebanon - The Lebanese Parliament made history on Tuesday by abolishing the death penalty, becoming the first Arab nation to replace the sentence with life imprisonment and penal labor. Lebanon has been officially moratorium on executions since January 2004, though death sentences were still issued, often suspended or commuted.

Out of 128 parliamentary members, a majority voted in favor of the abolition, except for the Hezbollah bloc. Justice Minister Adel Nassar hailed the decision as a "historic step." Rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, welcomed the vote, emphasizing the cruelty and finality of capital punishment. However, it remains unclear how the new punishment of "aggravated hard labor" would be enforced.

Lebanon's capital punishment laws are already in place, but enforcement has been rare due to resource constraints. The vote comes amid debate over a controversial amnesty law that could reduce sentences or release convicted militants and drug dealers. Family members of Lebanese soldiers and servicemen killed by Islamist militants have protested against the law, advocating for execution instead of reduced sentences.

Lebanon's religious institutions, which legally recognize the death penalty, have not commented on the vote.