Lebanon's parliament approved a law abolishing the death penalty on Tuesday, making the country the first in the Middle East to eliminate capital punishment, according to a report published on August 12, 2026. The new law replaces death sentences with life imprisonment and hard labor. A majority of lawmakers in the 128-member parliament voted for abolition after several amendments were introduced.

The Hezbollah-backed parliamentary bloc did not vote in favor of abolishing the death penalty. Lebanon has not carried out an execution since 2004, although courts had continued issuing death sentences. Amnesty International said that, as of January this year, at least 85 people in the country were on death row.

Justice Minister Adel Nassar described the measure as a historic decision after its passage. The United Nations, European Union and France welcomed the move. UN human rights chief Volker Turk urged other Middle Eastern countries that still retain the death penalty to follow Lebanon's example. Human rights groups called for commutation of all death sentences and ratification of an international treaty abolishing capital punishment.