Lebanon passes sweeping amnesty law to free thousands of prisoners

Lebanon’s parliament has approved a bill granting a general amnesty and reducing prison sentences, making it the largest such measure in the country since the end of the civil war in 1990, according to Arab News.

Around 8,000 convicted prisoners and pretrial detainees accused of a wide range of offences are currently held in Lebanese prisons.

The bill was approved in a roll-call vote following heated political disputes that continued from the evening of August 11 until the morning of August 12. 

Under the law, judges will be required to release detainees who have spent more than 14 years in prison without being convicted, although legal proceedings against them will continue. The law also applies to prisoners who have completed their sentences but remain behind bars because they are unable to pay fines.

The amnesty covers people convicted of drug use and certain drug-related offences, as well as theft, provided their cases do not fall under specific exceptions or legal provisions governing repeat offenders. The legislation also allows certain categories of Lebanese citizens living abroad to return to the country.

The amnesty does not cover a wide range of serious crimes, including terrorism, war crimes, treason, espionage and others.

Once the law is published in the Official Gazette and enters into force, 79 detained Islamists and more than 2,000 other prisoners and detainees are expected to be released.

By Jeyhun Aghazada