Lebanon formally abolishes death penalty in Mideast first

Lebanon's parliament on Tuesday abolished the death penalty, making the country the first in the Middle East to formally end the practice.
"The draft law aimed at abolishing the death penalty in Lebanon was approved," the speaker of parliament's office announced.
Lebanon had not carried out an execution since 2004.
Justice Minister Adel Nassar 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.
Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch, told AFP the move was "a monumental step for human rights in the country, representing a clear break from a cruel and arbitrary sentence that should never be imposed".
The abolition came as part of a series of bills to be discussed in the current legislative session, including a general amnesty law that has been debated for years.