Lebanon abolishes death penalty in landmark parliament vote

Lebanon's parliament on Tuesday voted to abolish the death penalty, making the country the first in the Arab world to replace capital punishment with life imprisonment accompanied by hard labor.

The Mediterranean nation has maintained an unofficial moratorium on executions since January 2004. However, courts have handed down dozens of death sentences since then, though they were later suspended or commuted.

A majority of the 128-member parliament voted in favor of abolishing the death penalty, with Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc opposing the move.

Justice Minister Adel Nassar, who attended the parliamentary session, described the decision as a "historic step" for Lebanon.

Rights groups that have long urged Lebanon to formally end executions welcomed the vote.

Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch, said the country was "marking a final break" from a punishment that should never be imposed.

"Capital punishment is unique in its cruelty and finality and is plagued with arbitrariness, prejudice, and error," he said.

However, questions remain over how the new punishment of hard labor will be applied, as some lawmakers said its details have yet to be clearly defined. Hard labor is already included in Lebanese law and court rulings, but it has rarely been enforced in recent years because of the country's financial crisis, limited resources and overcrowded prisons.

The abolition comes as parliament is also debating a controversial general amnesty law, the largest such measure since the end of Lebanon's 15-year civil war in 1990. The proposed law could reduce prison terms or lead to the release of some convicted militants and drug dealers, with certain exceptions.

Families of Lebanese soldiers and security personnel killed or attacked by Islamist militant groups have repeatedly protested against the amnesty proposal. Some said they wanted those responsible for killing their relatives to face execution rather than receive reduced prison sentences.

Hezbollah did not immediately comment on Tuesday's vote. Lebanon's various religious institutions also remained silent, although some of their religious court systems permit the death penalty.