Lebanon abolishes death penalty in landmark parliamentary vote FAST-MOVING
Lebanon’s Parliament has voted to abolish the death penalty, making it the first country in the Arab world to formally remove capital punishment from its legal code. The decision, described by Justice Minister Adel Nassar as a ‘historic step,’ ends a de facto moratorium on executions that has been in place since January 2004.
Under the new legislation, crimes committed before the law takes effect will result in life imprisonment. For future crimes, the death penalty is replaced by life imprisonment with aggravated hard labor. While human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, celebrated the move as a victory for human rights, some legislators expressed concerns regarding the practical enforcement of aggravated hard labor given the country’s overcrowded prisons and limited resources.
The vote occurred alongside debates on other sensitive issues, including a controversial general amnesty law. The Hezbollah parliamentary bloc was the primary opposition to the abolition. The reform is also expected to facilitate international legal cooperation, as it removes barriers to the extradition of suspects from countries that do not practice capital punishment.
Entities
Abdel Rahman Bizri · Adel Nassar · Hezbollah · Human Rights Watch · Lebanese Parliament · Lebanon · Ramzi Kaiss
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 21 SOURCES] The Lebanese Parliament voted to abolish the death penalty. www.faz.net · www.aktuality.sk · wtop.com · srnnews.com · www.affaritaliani.it · +16 more
- [● 21 SOURCES] A majority of the 128-member parliament voted in favor of the abolition. www.faz.net · www.aktuality.sk · wtop.com · srnnews.com · www.affaritaliani.it · +16 more
- [● 21 SOURCES] Justice Minister Adel Nassar described the vote as a ‘historic step’ for Lebanon. www.faz.net · www.aktuality.sk · wtop.com · srnnews.com · www.affaritaliani.it · +16 more
- [● 11 SOURCES] Lebanon has maintained an unofficial moratorium on executions since January 2004. www.faz.net · www.aktuality.sk · wtop.com · srnnews.com · www.affaritaliani.it · +6 more
- [● 3 SOURCES] Crimes committed before the law's implementation will result in life imprisonment with hard labor. www.faz.net · www.beirut.com · www.la-croix.com
- [● 21 SOURCES] The Hezbollah parliamentary bloc voted against the abolition of the death penalty. www.faz.net · www.aktuality.sk · wtop.com · srnnews.com · www.affaritaliani.it · +16 more
- [● 21 SOURCES] Lebanon is the first Arab country to formally abolish the death penalty. www.faz.net · www.aktuality.sk · wtop.com · srnnews.com · www.affaritaliani.it · +16 more
- [● 21 SOURCES] The death penalty will be replaced by life imprisonment with aggravated hard labor. www.faz.net · www.aktuality.sk · wtop.com · srnnews.com · www.affaritaliani.it · +16 more
- [● 21 SOURCES] The death penalty is replaced by life imprisonment with aggravated hard labor for future crimes. www.faz.net · www.aktuality.sk · wtop.com · srnnews.com · www.affaritaliani.it · +16 more