Lebanon abolishes death penalty in landmark parliament vote
This is a locator map for Lebanon with its capital, Beirut. (AP Photo) BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s parliament Tuesday abolished the death penalty, making it the first country in the Arab world to replace the sentencing with life imprisonment with aggravated hard labor. The tiny Mediterranean country has committed to an unofficial moratorium on executions since January 2004. However, dozens of death sentences since then have been issued, but later suspended or commuted. A majority of Lebanon’s 128-member parliament voted in favor of ending the death penalty, with the exception of the parliamentary bloc of Hezbollah. Justice Minister Adel Nassar, who was in Parliament, called it a “historic step” for the country.
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Scoop News DeskLebanon · Published Updated
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Family members of Lebanese soldiers and servicemen killed or attacked by Islamist militant groups have repeatedly protested against the law , some saying they had hoped to see the perpetrators who killed their family members executed rather than be issued reduced prison sentences.
