Hezbollah opposed: after two decades - the historic decision made in Lebanon

The Lebanese parliament approved today a bill to abolish the death penalty, making Lebanon only the second Arab country to officially abolish it. Instead of the death penalty, life imprisonment with hard labor will be imposed. Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement opposed. Justice Minister Adel Nassar called the step historic. The last execution in Lebanon was carried out more than two decades ago.

The Lebanese parliament approved today (Tuesday) the bill to abolish the death penalty, after several amendments were introduced. According to the proposal, instead of the death penalty, life imprisonment with hard labor will be imposed. This will make Lebanon only the second Arab country to officially abolish the death penalty, after Djibouti, which abolished it in 1995. However, in several other Arab countries, the death penalty is not carried out in practice. In Lebanon itself, the last execution was carried out more than two decades ago. The party blocs of Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement opposed the bill. Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar described the abolition of the death penalty as a "historic step." The Lebanese Justice Ministry explained that abolishing the death penalty does not mean leniency toward serious crimes, and that alternative punishments can protect society, as well as allow for the release of prisoners and compensate them if there were flaws in the investigation, evidence, or trial itself. Lebanon has not carried out executions since 2004, but courts continued to impose death sentences that were not carried out. With the approval of the bill, Lebanon moves from a de facto moratorium on the death penalty to its complete abolition in legislation.