&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Lebanon ends death penalty, becomes first in Middle East; where does region stand?")
Lebanon’s parliament on Tuesday (August 11) approved a law abolishing the death penalty, making the country the first in the Middle East to formally end capital punishment. “The draft law aimed at abolishing the death penalty in Lebanon was approved,” the speaker of parliament’s office announced.
Lebanon last executed in 2004. Justice Minister Adel Nassar described the abolition as “historic” and said the threat of capital punishment had previously prevented Beirut from securing the extradition of suspects from countries that had outlawed the practice.
Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch, welcomed the decision and described it as “a monumental step for human rights in the country, representing a clear break from a cruel and arbitrary sentence that should never be imposed,” AFP reported.
The parliament passed the abolition as part of a series of bills scheduled for discussion during the current legislative session. The package also includes a general amnesty law that lawmakers have debated for several years.
Lebanon breaks with regional execution trend
The decision assumes greater significance as the Middle East continues to record some of the highest numbers of executions in the world. The region largely remains undemocratic, while most democracies have either significantly reduced capital executions or abolished the practice.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
According to Amnesty International’s global report, Death Sentences and Executions 2025, Iran carried out more than 2,159 executions in 2025. It marked Iran’s highest annual execution total since 1981. Saudi Arabia carried out 356 death penalties during the same period, while Yemen recorded 51 executions and the United Arab Emirates recorded three.
With the abolition, Lebanon will join 113 countries that have fully abolished capital punishment in law for all crimes, according to Amnesty International data.
Where India stands on capital punishment
India’s legal framework retains the death penalty for extreme offences, but courts apply capital punishment under strict judicial doctrines and statutory safeguards. Indian courts classify such cases under the “Rarest of Rare” doctrine.
Since 2000, India has executed only eight individuals, highlighting the limited use of capital punishment and New Delhi’s approach towards executions.
