Lebanon's parliament has voted to abolish the death penalty, making it the first country in the Arab world and the first in the Middle East to formally end capital punishment. A majority of the 128-seat legislature backed the measure on Tuesday, though Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc voted against it. Under the new law, death sentences will be replaced by life imprisonment with hard labour.
Justice Minister Adel Nassar called the vote a "historic" step, adding that the move removes legal barriers to extradition from countries that refuse to transfer suspects to states retaining the death penalty. Hezbollah MP Ibrahim al-Mousawi said the decision involved "multiple philosophies and dimensions". Lebanon had maintained a de facto moratorium on executions since 2004, though courts continued to issue death sentences.
The European Union congratulated Lebanon, with top diplomat Kaja Kallas calling it a "significant step forward for human rights." The UN rights chief urged neighbouring states to follow suit. Rights groups estimate more than 78 people remained on death row.