By John Okeke
Lebanon’s parliament has voted
to abolish the death penalty, putting the country on course to become the first
in the Middle East to formally remove capital punishment from its laws.
A majority of lawmakers in the
128-member chamber supported the measure on Tuesday, although Hezbollah’s
parliamentary bloc opposed it. The bill will now be considered by the cabinet
before being sent to President Joseph Aoun for his signature. The government
has already backed the proposed change.
The vote marks a major
development in a country that has not carried out an execution since January
2004. Death sentences, however, have continued to be handed down by Lebanese
courts, with rights groups estimating that more than 78 people remain on death
row.
Under the proposed law,
executions would be replaced by life imprisonment with hard labour. However,
the legislation does not yet explain in detail how the alternative sentence
would operate.
Hard labour already exists in
Lebanese law, but it has rarely been used in recent years. A severe financial
crisis, along with overcrowded prisons and limited state resources, has made
its implementation difficult.
The parliamentary vote follows
nearly three decades of campaigning by lawyers and civil society organisations
seeking to remove capital punishment from Lebanese law.
Oragit Younan, co-founder of
the Lebanese Association for Civil Rights, described the decision as a
significant victory after years of campaigning. “We cannot solve a crime with a
crime or end violence with violence,” she told the BBC.
Younan said the campaign had
continued despite Lebanon’s political instability and repeated violence. “We
are in a war, and people [have been] killed every day, so even in this
situation, we can fight, we can struggle for human rights, and we can win. We
can be a model for others,” she said.
Lebanon’s latest decision
effectively builds on a moratorium that has lasted for more than two decades.
Although the death penalty remained legal, an execution required decrees from
the president, prime minister and justice minister. No such decree has been
signed since 2004.
Capital punishment could
previously be imposed for offences including aggravated murder, some
terrorism-related crimes resulting in death, treason, espionage and crimes
against state security. Earlier attempts to abolish it, including parliamentary
legislation in 2004 and a justice ministry proposal in 2008, failed.
The move places Lebanon on a
different path from some of its regional neighbours. Jordan resumed executions
in June after a seven-year gap, while Israel has approved legislation expanding
the circumstances in which the death penalty can be imposed.
The debate is also playing out
in Iran, where UN human rights chief Volker Türk has raised alarm over
increasing executions, saying capital punishment continues to be used to spread
fear and suppress dissent.
For Lebanon, Tuesday’s vote
represents a significant step in a long-running human rights campaign, although
the measure must still complete the remaining stages before it becomes law.
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