Lebanon’s parliament has approved a general amnesty law expected to benefit thousands of convicted prisoners, detainees and wanted people. The measure passed in a show-of-hands vote on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s official National News Agency.
The law exceptionally reduces certain prison terms and includes provisions for some people facing death or life imprisonment, but authorities have not announced how many people will be freed or receive shorter sentences.
What the law provides
Lawmakers supporting the bill said sentences for people facing death or life imprisonment were reduced to 17 prison years. In Lebanon, where one prison year is calculated as nine months, that equals 12 years and nine months of actual imprisonment.
The law also calls for the release of inmates in ongoing trials who have been detained for more than 12 prison years without charges. Its stated aim includes reducing overcrowding in prisons, where many inmates have waited years for trial.
Why the measure was contested
The amnesty was long demanded by several Lebanese political factions, but relatives of Lebanese soldiers and servicemen killed in attacks opposed it because they feared perpetrators could receive undue leniency.
The measure follows a day after parliament formally abolished the death penalty. Lebanon’s previous general amnesty law was passed after the country’s 1975–1990 civil war.
Who sought amnesty
The push intensified after the 2024 fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as Lebanon held prisoners accused of crimes linked to the Syrian civil war. Many are from Tripoli and face accusations including attacks on the Lebanese army, participation in clashes and planning bombings.
Families in the eastern Baalbek and Hermel regions sought amnesty for drug-related offences and car theft. Christian parties also pushed for protections covering people who joined an Israeli-backed group and fled to Israel after its withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.
Prison overcrowding and next steps
Lebanon’s National Human Rights Commission reported a prison overcrowding rate of 300 percent in its 2025 report. Prison authorities reported at least 6,268 inmates by the end of March.
The parliament speaker’s office said the law would exceptionally reduce certain prison terms, but Lebanese authorities had not immediately specified the number of people eligible for release or sentence reductions.
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