Lebanese MPs attend a session of Parliament. They will soon vote on abolishing the death penalty. AFPInfoCommittees approve bill and send it to parliament for vote expected next week
Lebanon's joint parliamentary committees have approved replacing the death penalty with life imprisonment, sending the bill to parliament for a vote.
No execution has been carried out in Lebanon since 2004, though courts continue to hand down death sentences for crimes including murder, terrorism and treason.
About 80 prisoners currently face the death sentence, while the broader penal system holds roughly 8,500 people in facilities built for only 4,500.
The bill is expected to pass, requiring at least 65 of 128 MPs present, before moving to cabinet and President Joseph Aoun for final approval.
