The year 2025 witnessed a qualitative shift in how the death penalty is addressed in Lebanon, as the issue moved from a long-standing human rights debate to a clear and institutional legislative pathway. This was reflected in the submission of a draft law on 25 September 2025 aiming to abolish the death penalty entirely from the penal system. This development comes within a uniquely Lebanese context, characterized by a de facto moratorium on executions since 2004, despite the continued presence of the death penalty in legal texts, creating a duality between legislation and practice.

The draft law submitted to Parliament reflects a clear orientation toward abolishing the death penalty wherever it appears in Lebanese legislation and replacing it with the next most severe penalties. It also provides for individuals currently sentenced to death to benefit from the new law, demonstrating a reform-oriented approach aimed not only at amending future legal provisions but also at addressing existing situations. The proposal is grounded in multiple justifications, notably the global trend toward abolition and the specificity of the Lebanese case, which has seen no executions for more than two decades.

The issues surrounding the death penalty in Lebanon are not limited to its legal dimension but extend to detention conditions. Available data indicate that Lebanese prisons suffer from severe overcrowding, with an occupancy rate of approximately 194%, placing them among the most overcrowded in the region. Reports have documented instances that may amount to ill-treatment, as well as deterioration in the physical and mental health of those sentenced to death, including repeated suicide attempts among some detainees. These conditions raise serious concerns regarding compliance with international human rights standards.

Lebanon continues to retain the death penalty within its legislative framework. It is stipulated in the Penal Code and other laws, including the Military Justice Code and certain special laws. According to available data, the Penal Code lists 19 crimes punishable by death, while the broader legal framework includes more than 41 legislative provisions allowing for its application to around twenty offenses. These are distributed between the Penal Code and the Military Justice Code, with a limited number in special laws, including one provision in Law No. 673 of 16 March 1998 on drugs, psychotropic substances, and chemical precursors, and two provisions in Law No. 64 of 12 August 1988 on environmental protection from hazardous waste and harmful substances.

This legislative trajectory reached its peak in 2025 when the Council of Ministers discussed the draft law on 20 November 2025 and issued a detailed written opinion fully supporting abolition, marking an unprecedented step at the executive level. This position was based on two legal opinions issued by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Social Affairs, both of which affirmed that abolition aligns with Lebanon’s international obligations and reflects the evolution of criminal justice toward a rehabilitative approach.

The letter addressed by Prime Minister Judge Nawaf Salam to Parliament constitutes a pivotal milestone in this process. It presented a comprehensive approach to abolition, emphasizing that the issue goes beyond mere legal amendment and represents a civilizational choice reflecting the State’s commitment to protecting the right to life. It further stressed that maintaining the death penalty in legislation despite its non-application for years creates a legal contradiction that must be resolved through explicit and comprehensive abolition.

The letter also underscored that abolition does not imply leniency toward serious crimes but rather calls for the development of alternative criminal policies that address root causes of crime, such as poverty, marginalization, and social factors. It emphasized that alternative maximum penalties should ensure justice and public protection without resorting to an irreversible punishment.

At the international level, this trajectory reflects a shift in Lebanon’s position within the global debate on the death penalty. In recent years, Lebanon has voted in favor of United Nations resolutions calling for a moratorium on executions, indicating gradual alignment with the global trend toward abolition. However, until 2025, this alignment remained largely confined to political and diplomatic practice without being translated into binding legal provisions.

Available data on the death penalty in Lebanon reveal the persistence of a structural contradiction between retaining the penalty in legislation and suspending its implementation in practice for over two decades. Since the last execution in 2004, Lebanon has existed in a state of unofficial moratorium, placing it in a transitional position between retentionist states and those moving toward abolition.

According to the report “Distribution of Current Prisoners by Sentence Length, Category, and Type of Offense,” issued by the Directorate of Prisons at the Ministry of Justice, there were 85 prisoners sentenced to death by the end of 2025. Data published by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (ECPM), in cooperation with the Lebanese Association for Civil Rights (LACR) and the Justice and Mercy Association (AJEM), indicate that 84 individuals were on death row by the end of 2024, including at least one woman. Reports also point to conditions that may amount to ill-treatment, including deteriorating physical and mental health and repeated suicide attempts. These findings highlight the complex nature of the death penalty, not only as a maximum punishment but also as a prolonged form of detention under harsh conditions.

Judicial trends over the past decade also demonstrate a significant decline in the issuance of death sentences. The number dropped from 28 sentences in 2015 to only two in 2024, reflecting a more cautious judicial approach. Data for 2025 further indicate that no new death sentences were issued, reinforcing the trend toward limiting the use of the penalty to the point of near practical suspension.

In parallel, the death penalty in Lebanon is linked to broader challenges related to detention conditions. Lebanese prisons are among the most overcrowded in the Middle East, with an occupancy rate reaching 194%, resulting in harsh living conditions, including poor hygiene, limited healthcare, and inadequate nutrition. These conditions particularly affect death row inmates, who endure prolonged periods of uncertain waiting, exacerbating psychological suffering and raising serious concerns about compliance with international standards for the treatment of prisoners.

At the international level, Lebanon continues to engage partially with the global trend toward suspending the death penalty, having voted in favor of UN resolutions calling for a moratorium since 2020 and partially accepting related recommendations under the Universal Periodic Review. However, this engagement remains incomplete in the absence of clear legislative abolition.

Today, with the draft abolition law under discussion at the highest levels, Lebanon appears to be at a decisive moment. The adoption of the law would shift the country from a state of “de facto moratorium” to “legal abolition,” strengthening the coherence of the legal system and enshrining the protection of the right to life as a fundamental, non-derogable right.

In conclusion, 2025 can be considered a turning point in Lebanon’s approach to the death penalty, where legislative and executive will converged with practical realities and international obligations to open the door to its definitive abolition. The key challenge now lies in completing this process within Parliament and transforming this direction into a solid legal foundation that reflects the evolution of Lebanon’s legal system and its progress in the field of human rights.

هذه المقالة متاحة أيضًا بـ: العربية (Arabic) Français (French)