BEIRUT: Lebanon's parliament on Tuesday (Aug 11) abolished the death penalty, making the country the first in the Middle East to formally end the practice.Lebanon had not carried out an execution since 2004, but sentences were still being issued, the latest being on Monday, and Amnesty International said at least 85 people were still on death row by January.Capital punishment typically applied to major crimes like murder, terrorism and espionage, among others.The most severe crimes will now be given life sentences with hard labour, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency.Justice Minister Adel Nassar, who was at the parliament, called the abolition "historic", and said the spectre of capital punishment had previously prevented Beirut from obtaining the extradition of suspects from countries where it has been outlawed.Independent lawmaker Firas Hamdan celebrated the move in a post on X, thanking "everyone who contributed, for over more than two decades, to reaching this moment".The move was also hailed by the United Nations, with rights chief Volker Turk calling on Lebanon's neighbours in the Middle East "that still maintain the death penalty to follow its lead in ending this inhumane practice".He said the move represented a "powerful and principled commitment to the right to life" in a country racked by war.The European Union said Lebanon was "setting a powerful example for other countries in the Middle East and beyond".Former colonial power France called the decision "historic and courageous".French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot wrote on X that the vote showed Lebanon "remains an example through its ability to uphold the democratic values and freedoms that lie at the foundation of its existence".