{
  "id": 608066,
  "title": "Lebanon becomes first Arab nation to abolish death penalty",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/lebanon-becomes-first-arab-nation-to-abolish-death-penalty-608066",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-11T21:32:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Post Nigeria",
    "slug": "daily-post-nigeria",
    "url": "https://dailypost.ng/2026/08/11/lebanon-becomes-first-arab-nation-to-abolish-death-penalty/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Lebanon's parliament has voted to abolish the death penalty, making it the first Middle Eastern and Arab nation to do so. The decision, supported overwhelmingly by lawmakers on Tuesday, replaces sentencing with life imprisonment and hard labor. Justice Minister Adel Nassar hailed the \"historic step.\" The majority of the 128-member legislature voted in favor, except for the parliamentary bloc of Hezbollah.\n\nThe UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, praised the abolition, urging other Middle Eastern countries to end capital punishment as well. He called it a \"powerful and principled\" commitment to the right to life. The European Union also commended Lebanon, stating that the \"landmark legislation\" marks a significant step forward for human rights in the country and sets a powerful example for other nations globally.\n\nLebanon had been observing an unofficial moratorium on executions since January 2004, but dozens of death sentences were either suspended or commuted. The abolition of the death penalty in Lebanon represents a major stride in advancing human rights in the region.",
  "summary": "Lebanon’s parliament has voted to abolish the death penalty, becoming the first country in the Middle East and the Arab world to annul capital punishment. Lawmakers in the Mediterranean country overwhelmingly supported the decision on Tuesday, replacing the sentencing with life imprisonment plus aggravated hard labour. Justice Minister Adel Nassar commended the “historic step.” The majority of…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Lebanon becomes first Arab nation to abolish death penalty",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/lebanon-becomes-first-arab-nation-to-abolish-death-penalty",
        "published": "2026-08-11T13:23:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al-Monitor",
        "title": "Lebanon becomes first Arab country to abolish death penalty",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/lebanon-becomes-first-arab-country-to-abolish-death-penalty",
        "published": "2026-08-11T13:31:55.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Lebanon abolishes death penalty in Middle East first",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/lebanon-abolishes-death-penalty-in-middle-east-first-612495",
        "published": "2026-08-11T20:58:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Qatar Tribune",
        "title": "Lebanon becomes first Arab country to abolish death penalty",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/lebanon-becomes-first-arab-country-to-abolish-death-penalty-607737",
        "published": "2026-08-11T21:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}