Mashnouq: Berri, Hariri Support Reactivating Death Penalty, Aoun Mulling Issue

Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad Hariri support the reactivation of the death penalty law and President Michel Aoun has promised to mull the issue, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq announced on Thursday.

The minister voiced his remarks during a meeting at the ministry with families of victims of “intentional homicide.”

Mashnouq called on the families to “raise their voice high to mobilize the Lebanese society to press for fulfilling justice and stand in the face of external and international pressures aimed at preventing the reactivation of the capital punishment law.”

And expressing his sympathy with the relatives, the minister promised them that he will follow up on the issue until the end.

“My efforts towards the reactivation of the death penalty law stem from my keenness on protecting the rest of the youths” from murders, Mashnouq noted, citing the recent killing of 24-year-old man Roy Hamoush that has shocked the Lebanese society.

The minister also pointed out that there is a study that revealed that “intentional homicides stopped completely for several months after executions were carried out during the tenure of president Elias Hrawi, martyr premier Rafik Hariri and justice minister Bahij Tabbara.”

Human Rights Watch had on Monday urged Lebanon to respect its moratorium on the death penalty after the latest calls for its reinstatement.

Capital punishment is legal in Lebanon, but there has been an effective moratorium in place since 2004, without any executions carried out despite judgments to that effect.

"Ending its moratorium on executions would only serve to tarnish Lebanon's human rights record," HRW said in a statement.

Roy Hamoush's recent murder was the latest in a growing number of people killed on the street or in broad daylight in Lebanon, often for minor reasons.

"Once again, political pressure is growing for Lebanon to resume executions," said Human Rights Watch.

"A resumption of executions would constitute a troubling setback for Lebanon, without making the country safer or deterring crime," the London-based watchdog said.

Instead of resuming executions, "parliament should solidify Lebanon's position as a leader on this issue in the Middle East, and abolish the death penalty outright," HRW urged.