Lebanon passes sweeping amnesty law, a day after abolishing death penalty
Al Jazeera Staff
Lebanon's parliament has passed a sweeping amnesty law, the first since 1991, benefiting thousands of prisoners and detainees just one day after abolishing the death penalty. The law aims to reduce overcrowding in prisons but has drawn concern from some victims' families.
On August 12, Lebanon's parliament passed a sweeping amnesty law in a vote, according to the National News Agency (NNA). The parliament's presidency office said the law would "particularly" reduce certain prison sentences, marking the first time since 1991 that Lebanon has enacted a general amnesty law.
The amnesty law had long been demanded by various political factions in Lebanon to ease overcrowding in prisons, where many people have been held for years without trial. However, it met opposition from some families of Lebanese soldiers and troops killed in attacks, who feared that perpetrators could receive excessive leniency.
Lebanese authorities have not released specific figures on the number of people to be released or have sentences reduced under the new law. The law was passed one day after Lebanon's parliament formally abolished the death penalty, making it the first country in the Middle East to do so.
Lawmaker Imad al-Hout, one of the bill's supporters, said the law reduces sentences for those facing the death penalty or life imprisonment to 17 "years in prison." Under Lebanon's calculation, one year equals nine months, so the actual time to be served is 12 years and nine months. The law also provides for the release of those in preliminary trials who have been detained for more than 12 years without formal indictment.
According to a 2025 report by Lebanon's National Human Rights Commission, the country's prisons are overcrowded at 300 percent, with at least 6,268 prisoners as of the end of March.
The movement for a sweeping amnesty grew after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was toppled in 2024, as Lebanon detained many people linked to events in Syria's civil war. Most of these prisoners come from the city of Tripoli, a predominantly Sunni Muslim area in northern Lebanon, and are accused of offenses such as attacking the Lebanese army, participating in clashes, and plotting bombings.
Other political forces, including the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, have also repeatedly sought amnesty for their communities. Thousands of families from the Baalbek and Hermel regions, where Hezbollah and its ally Amal hold strong influence, have for years sought amnesty for drug-related and car-theft crimes.
Meanwhile, Christian parties urged the amnesty law to include families of those who joined a pro-Israel group and fled to Israel after its withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, fearing reprisals, especially from Hezbollah and its supporters.
Lawmaker Walid Baarini hailed the "long-awaited" passage of the amnesty law, expressing hope it would be "a new chapter" bringing justice "to those who deserve it." In a post on X, he wrote: "Amnesty is not forgetting a right, but prioritizing mercy and wisdom when they align with the requirements of justice and national interest."
Lebanon had previously passed a sweeping amnesty law after its 1975-1990 civil war.
