Lebanon parliament votes to abolish death penalty

Lebanon's parliament voted Tuesday to abolish the death penalty, making it the first country in the Middle East to formally end capital punishment. A majority of the 128-seat Chamber of Deputies backed the measure, while Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc voted against it. The legislation, which replaces capital punishment with life imprisonment with hard labor, still needs to go to the cabinet and then to President Joseph Aoun for signing, though the government has already voiced support for it. Lebanon has not carried out an execution since January 2004, but courts have continued issuing death sentences, and rights groups estimate more than 78 people remain on death row.