Lebanon Abolishes the Death Penalty, Marking a Historic Milestone in the Middle East

• On August 11, 2026, Lebanon officially abolished the death penalty, becoming the 114th country globally to do so.
• It is the first country in the Middle East and the second in the Arab world, following Djibouti, to fully abolish capital punishment.
• The decision follows a 22-year de facto moratorium on executions.

The Campaign for Abolition

• The movement originated with a 1997 nonviolent campaign led by activists Ogarit Younan and the late Walid Slaybi.
• The Lebanese Coalition Against the Death Penalty, comprising 84 parties and organizations, coordinated the long-term effort.
• International partnerships, particularly with the French organization ECPM and the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (WCADP), provided essential support.

Legislative Timeline

• October 7, 2025: A draft law was submitted by Ogarit Younan and signed by seven MPs.
• November 20, 2025: The Council of Ministers officially placed the bill on the government agenda.
• February 23 – July 9, 2026: The bill received consecutive approvals from the Parliamentary Human Rights Committee, Administration and Justice Committee, and Joint Parliamentary Committees.
• August 11, 2026: The Lebanese Parliament approved the final law in a plenary session.

Implications and Future Goals

• The enacted law mandates that the death penalty is abolished across all Lebanese legal texts.
• Activist Ogarit Younan emphasized the need for future revisions to replace punitive measures like 'hard labor' and 'life imprisonment' with humane alternatives.
• The achievement is particularly significant given the current national crisis and ongoing war in the region.