Lebanon's parliament approves abolition of death penalty

Lebanon's parliament on Tuesday abolished the death penalty and replaced all existing death sentences with life imprisonment, the speaker's office said in a statement.

The move formally ends capital punishment, after maintaining a de facto moratorium on executions since 2004, although dozens of people had remained technically on death row.

Crimes that were punishable with a death sentence included murder and treason.

Last year, Lebanese lawmakers submitted a law to abolish capital punishment. Parliament's statement on Tuesday did not include a vote count.

The European Union welcomed the move, saying Lebanon was setting "a powerful example for other countries" in the Middle East and beyond.

Lebanon's parliament is separately discussing legislation on a general amnesty for some crimes, partly as a way to relieve overcrowding in prisons.