Lebanon abolishes death penalty in landmark vote, becoming first Arab nation to do so
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Lebanon’s parliament Tuesday abolished the death penalty, making it the first country in the Arab world to replace the sentencing with life imprisonment with aggravated hard labor.The tiny Mediterranean country has committed to an unofficial moratorium on executions since January 2004. However, dozens of death sentences since then have been issued, but later suspended or commuted.A majority of Lebanon’s 128-member parliament voted in favor of ending the death penalty, with the exception of the parliamentary bloc of Hezbollah.Justice Minister Adel Nassar, who was in Parliament, called it a “historic step” for the country.Rights groups that have called for formalizing the moratorium or ending the death penalty altogether have also celebrated the vote.Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon Researcher at Human Rights Watch, says Lebanon is “marking a final break from a cruel sentence that should never be imposed.”“Capital punishment is unique in its cruelty and finality and is plagued with…
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Lebanon's parliament has abolished the death penalty, making it the first Arab nation to replace it with life imprisonment with aggravated hard labor. The vote, supported by a majority of the 128-member parliament with the exception of Hezbollah, was hailed as a "historic step" by Justice Minister Adel Nassar. Human Rights Watch also celebrated the decision, with Ramzi Kaiss stating, "Capital punishment is unique in its cruelty and finality and is plagued with arbitrariness, prejudice, and error." While Lebanon has had an unofficial moratorium on executions since 2004, dozens of death sentences have been issued and later commuted. The implementation of "aggravated hard labor" remains unclear, as some legislators noted the terms are not yet defined. This decision coincides with parliamentary debates on a controversial general amnesty law that could reduce sentences for convicted terrorists and drug dealers, drawing protests from victims' families.
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