"Today, Lebanon has become the first country in the Middle East to abolish the death penalty. I welcome the historic and courageous vote by the Lebanese Parliament, which shows tha

"Today, Lebanon has become the first country in the Middle East to abolish the death penalty. I welcome the historic and courageous vote by the Lebanese Parliament, which shows that Lebanon, despite the challenges it faces, remains a singular voice in the region and continues to set an example, enabling the democratic values and the freedoms that are its very foundations to flourish. That commitment was made a month ago at the ninth World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Paris, and it has been fulfilled.