Lebanon became the first country in the Middle East to abolish the death penalty: what is the global practice in 2026?

Lebanon Becomes First Middle Eastern Country to Abolish the Death Penalty: Global Practices in 2026

The Lebanese Parliament voted overwhelmingly to abolish capital punishment. All existing death sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment with community service. At the time the law came into effect, 85 people were awaiting execution in Lebanese prisons.

This historic step by Lebanon is in line with a global trend. According to the human rights organization Amnesty International, nearly 75% of countries no longer use the death penalty—either by abolishing it in law or by observing a de facto moratorium for over a decade:

* 113 countries have completely abolished the death penalty for all crimes;

* 9 countries retain it only for particularly serious crimes;

* 23 countries observe a moratorium in practice;

* 54 countries continue to use capital punishment.

However, despite a decline in the number of countries carrying out executions (only 17, close to a historic low), a sharp jump in the overall number of executions was recorded in 2025—by 78% (from 1,518 to 2,707). According to human rights activists, the largest increase occurred in Iran, where the number of executions more than doubled—from 972 to 2,159. These statistics traditionally do not include data from China, where information on executions remains classified.