Lebanon’s parliament passes a sweeping general amnesty law that reduces sentences for some prisoners and covers certain people held without charge for extended periods. The legislation is intended to ease prison overcrowding and includes provisions for detainees who have been held for years while awaiting trial.
The law had been debated for years before approval. France 24 reports it applies to inmates and people detained for more than 12 years without charges, and that it reduces sentences as part of the broader effort to bring down the prison population. Free Malaysia Today similarly says the measure targets overcrowding by addressing long-term detainees, many of whom have spent years awaiting trial. The outlets also place the vote in a wider regional context, noting Lebanon’s recent abolition of the death penalty just days earlier, though the amnesty and death-penalty actions are separate policy measures.
