Lebanon Takes a Historic Leap: Death Penalty Abolished in Landmark Parliament Vote
Lebanon's parliament has voted to abolish the death penalty, making it the first country in the Middle East to formally end capital punishment. The historic vote on Tuesday saw a majority of MPs in the 128-seat parliament back the measure, while Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc voted against it.
A Decades-Long Campaign Comes to Fruition
The legislation will now go to the cabinet before being passed to President Joseph Aoun for signing, a process that is expected to be swift given the government's support for the measure. Rights groups estimate that more than 78 people remain on death row, with courts having continued to hand down death sentences despite a de facto moratorium on executions since 2004.
The campaign to abolish the death penalty in Lebanon has been led by civil society groups and lawyers, including Oragit Younan, co-founder of the Lebanese Association for Civil Rights. "We cannot solve a crime with a crime or end violence with violence," Younan told the BBC. The association's nearly three-decade campaign has been a long and arduous one, but ultimately successful.
A New Era for Lebanon
Under the new legislation, capital punishment will be replaced with life imprisonment with hard labour. However, the legislation does not yet set out in detail how the new sentence would be enforced. Hard labour is already written into Lebanese law but has rarely been implemented in recent years, due to the country's financial crisis and overcrowded prisons.
The move comes as a significant shift in Lebanon's stance on capital punishment, and one that could have far-reaching implications for the region. Lebanon has not carried out an execution since January 2004, but the country's laws have previously allowed for the death penalty to be imposed for serious offences, including aggravated murder and terrorism-related crimes.
A Regional Trend?
Lebanon's move to abolish the death penalty comes as the use of capital punishment remains contested elsewhere in the Middle East. In contrast, Jordan resumed executions in June, carrying out its first since 2017. In Israel, parliament has approved legislation that allows for the expansion of the circumstances in which capital punishment can be imposed.
The UN human rights chief has expressed alarm at the rise in executions in Iran, with at least 56 people having been executed on national security-related charges since 19 March. The use of capital punishment in Iran continues to be a source of concern, with the country's human rights record coming under increasing scrutiny.
A New Model for Human Rights
For Oragit Younan and the Lebanese Association for Civil Rights, the abolition of the death penalty is a significant victory for human rights in the region. "We are in a war, and people [have been] killed every day, so even in this situation, we can fight, we can struggle for human rights, and we can win," Younan said. The association's campaign has been a beacon of hope for those advocating for human rights in the region.
As Lebanon becomes the first country in the Middle East to formally end capital punishment, it sets a new precedent for the region. The country's move is a significant step forward for human rights, and one that could have far-reaching implications for the region.
Source: Joy Online
