Lebanon has formally abolished the death penalty at a time when the Middle East and North Africa region remains the world’s most prolific executor, accounting for more than 95 per cent of all executions recorded globally in 2025. The Lebanese parliament’s decision places the country at odds with its regional neighbours, where governments increasingly deploy capital punishment as both a criminal justice tool and a mechanism of political control. At least 2,707 people were executed worldwide last year, according to Amnesty International — and the overwhelming majority died in this single region.
Rooted in Regional Context: How the Middle East Became the World’s Execution Hotspot
The Middle East and North Africa did not become the world’s leading execution zone overnight. For years, this region has been an important presence in global debates on capital punishment — but for all the wrong reasons. Amnesty International’s data confirms that governments across the region have used capital punishment “as a tool to repress dissent and crack down on actual or perceived national security threats, amid a resurgence of punitive drug policies.”
Iran leads all countries except China in total executions. In 2025 alone, Iran carried out 2,159 executions — Tehran’s highest recorded figure in more than 40 years — as authorities intensified their use of the death penalty following a 2025 war with Israel and domestic protests in January of that same year. This year, rights groups report that Iran has continued stepping up executions after further unrest. More than 30 countries have formally accused Iran of executing protesters to “silence dissent,” a charge Tehran has rejected.
Saudi Arabia recorded a historic high of at least 356 executions in 2025, driven by a sharp increase in drug-related cases, the majority involving foreign nationals. By August 13 of this year, Saudi authorities had already executed 130 people, according to an AFP tally of official announcements. Authorities maintain that capital punishment is compatible with Sharia law and necessary to maintain public order.
Yemen ranked third regionally and fourth globally, with at least 51 executions in 2025. Egypt recorded 23 executions, placing it sixth globally, just behind the United States.
The Uneven Landscape: Which Countries in the Region Hold Back
Not every country in the Middle East and North Africa applies capital punishment with equal frequency — and several have moved, in varying degrees, toward restraint.
Tunisia has maintained a moratorium on executions since 1991. Algeria and Morocco followed suit in 1993, and both continue to observe that moratorium today. In Iraq, which ranked fourth globally in 2024, Amnesty International noted that executions were “largely on hold” in 2025, though thousands of people remain on death row — many accused of membership in the Islamic State group.
Jordan had maintained a nine-year moratorium, but ended it this year by executing six men convicted in what authorities described as terrorism and criminal cases.
Syria handed down no death sentences in 2025 — the first full year under the new Islamist authorities who replaced Bashar al-Assad’s government. However, this week Syria sentenced Assad and other senior security officials to death in absentia. Under Assad’s rule, executions were a regular feature of the justice system.
Israel occupies a unique position: it has abolished capital punishment for ordinary crimes but retains it for exceptional offences. Its last execution was carried out in 1962, when Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann was put to death. In March of this year, however, Israel passed legislation making death the default punishment for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank convicted by military courts of carrying out deadly attacks classified as terrorism. Israel also faces international scrutiny over a May law establishing a special tribunal to try those accused of involvement in Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks, with authority to impose the death penalty.
The Palestinian Authority has not carried out an execution since 2005. President Mahmud Abbas has refused to sign execution orders, and the authority has signed international conventions calling for abolition — though it has not formally abolished the practice itself. Death sentences continue to be handed down but are not implemented. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, has carried out executions regularly, including the public execution of alleged collaborators with Israel in 2025.
Lebanon’s Decision Sends a Signal the Entire Region Can Hear
Lebanon’s abolition of the death penalty is significant not only as a domestic legal reform, but as a message to neighbouring states. Aurelie Placais, director of the World Coalition against the Death Penalty, told AFP that Lebanon’s move “sends a strong signal to the rest of the region.” Ogarit Younan, who co-founded Lebanon’s national campaign for abolition nearly 30 years ago, expressed hope that Lebanon can serve as a model for other countries in the Middle East.
Younan noted that achieving abolition requires a sustained civil society movement willing to pursue long-term campaigning with incremental wins along the way. In Lebanon, she said, advocates maintained “a strategic vision and plan since the beginning, and then we did it step by step.”
What You Need to Know About the Death Penalty in the Middle East
How many people were executed globally in 2025? At least 2,707 people were executed worldwide in 2025, according to Amnesty International’s annual report on capital punishment.
What share of global executions occurred in the Middle East and North Africa? More than 95 per cent of all executions recorded globally in 2025 took place in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Which country carried out the most executions in the Middle East in 2025? Iran carried out 2,159 executions in 2025, the highest figure recorded for that country in more than 40 years, making it the second-largest executor globally after China.
How many executions did Saudi Arabia carry out in 2025? Saudi Arabia executed at least 356 people in 2025, a record high, with the majority of cases linked to drug-related offences involving foreign nationals. By August 13 of this year, a further 130 executions had already been recorded.
Which countries in the region have a moratorium on the death penalty? Tunisia has maintained a moratorium since 1991. Algeria and Morocco have each observed moratoriums since 1993. Jordan held a nine-year moratorium but ended it in 2026 by executing six individuals.
Has Lebanon abolished the death penalty before 2026? No. Lebanon’s formal abolition of the death penalty in 2026 represents a historic first for the country, making it a notable outlier in a region where capital punishment remains widespread and, in several countries, increasing.
Could Lebanon’s abolition of the death penalty influence other countries in the region? Advocacy groups including the World Coalition against the Death Penalty believe Lebanon’s decision sends a strong signal to the rest of the Middle East. Campaigners emphasise that regional change requires sustained civil society engagement and a long-term strategic approach, citing Lebanon’s own nearly 30-year campaign as a model.
Lebanon’s formal abolition of the death penalty stands as a landmark moment in a region where capital punishment remains not only common but, in several countries, actively expanding. As Iran and Saudi Arabia continue to record historically high execution figures, and as Jordan breaks from its own moratorium, Lebanon’s decision represents a concrete, legislative step in a different direction — one that human rights advocates hope will prove contagious across the Middle East.
