Lebanon becomes first Arab nation to abolish death penalty

Lebanon’s parliament has voted to abolish the decease penalty, becoming the archetypal state successful the Middle East and the Arab satellite to annul capital punishment.

Lawmakers successful the Mediterranean country overwhelmingly supported the determination connected Tuesday, replacing the sentencing with beingness imprisonment positive aggravated hard labour.

Justice Minister Adel Nassar commended the “historic step.” The bulk of the 128-member legislature voted successful favour, but the parliamentary bloc of Hezbollah.

​UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk has hailed the abolishment, urging other states in the portion to besides extremity the “inhumane practice” of capital punishment.

Turk said the action was a “powerful and principled” committedness to the close to life, and called for the authorities to beryllium sent for statesmanlike approval so it tin participate into unit immediately.

The European ...