Lebanon becomes first Arab country to formally abolish the death penalty

A majority of the 128 members of the National Assembly voted in favour of the abolition, with the exception of Hezbollah lawmakers.

Lebanon has not carried out any executions since 2004. The country's courts have nevertheless continued to sentence people to death, but the sentences have later been commuted or suspended.

Justice Minister Adel Nassar called the abolition “historic,” saying the threat of the death penalty had previously prevented Beirut from extraditing suspects from countries where the death penalty is banned.