Capital punishment in the Middle East

Moratoria and abolition

Israel

Almost all death penalties were abolished by legislation in 1954 except for serious crimes committed during wartime. The last execution to ever take place in Israel was that of Adolf Eichmann, who was convicted for his role in the Holocaust, in 1962.

A moratorium has since been placed on all further execution of any individual.

Legal formalities aside, popular sentiment in favor of the death penalty occasionally rises in Israel in response to particularly heinous crimes. After the Sbarro suicide bombing, right-wing newspapers called for the perpetrators to be executed but Ahlmam Tamimi was only sentenced to prison.

In January 2018, the Knesset made a preliminary vote on a bill introducing death penalty for terrorism.

Turkey

In Turkey, capital punishment was fully abolished in 2004 for all crimes.

In 2018, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his right-wing government coalition partners agreed to a proposal that could see the death penalty restored in Turkey against anyone sentenced for terrorism.

Abolition advocacy

Attempts

In Lebanon in 2008, then-Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar introduced a draft law to Parliament which would abolish the death penalty. While the law failed to pass, he continued to advocate for the abolition for the rest of his time in office.

Farouk Ksentini, chairman of Algeria's National Advisory Commission for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights (CNCPPDH), stated in 2010 that he would advocate for the abolition of the death penalty. This aroused opposition from Islamist groups.

Places with the death penalty

The following, groups, nations, or governments currently enforce the death penalty:

• Libya
• Egypt
• Iraq
• Iraqi Kurdistan
• Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• Syria
• Gaza
• Palestinian Authority
• Lebanon
• Jordan
• Iran
• Qatar
• United Arab Emirates
• Yemen (Hadi and Houthi governments)
• Sultanate of Oman

References

References

1. en, Jonathan S. Tobin. "Israel and the Death Penalty".
2. (27 July 2017). "Netanyahu demands death penalty for Halamish terrorist". The Times of Israel.
3. (3 January 2018). "Israeli death penalty advocates win preliminary vote in parliament". Reuters.
4. "Death Penalty Cannot be Reinstated in Turkey". FIDH.
5. "Turkish leaders agree to bring back death penalty". Ahval News.
6. (11 October 2008). "Najjar presents draft law to abolish death penalty". The Daily Star.
7. Josie Ensor. (29 August 2009). "Justice Ministry campaigns to abolish death penalty". The Daily Star.
8. Ademe Amine. (1 March 2010). "Algeria resurrects death penalty debate". Maghrebia.
9. (11 August 2015). "Libya death sentences cast long shadow over rule of law". BBC News.
10. (8 September 2018). "Egypt sentences 75 Muslim Brotherhood supporters to death".
11. (17 April 2018). "A 10-Minute Trial, a Death Sentence : Iraqi Justice for ISIS Suspects". The New York Times.
12. (21 April 2020). "Saudi Arabia executed record number of people in 2019 (BBC)". BBC News.
13. Stewart, Catrina. (21 December 2011). "Syria brings in death penalty for opposition".
14. (2 March 2016). "Hamas Executes Prominent Commander After Accusations of Gay Sex".
15. (15 December 2008). "Palestinian Authority Death Sentences Surge in West Bank, Gaza".
16. (29 February 2004). "Lebanon Resumes Capital Punishment". The New York Times.
17. (5 March 2017). "Jordan: 15 executions 'shocking' says human rights group".
18. (10 July 2020). "Iran: Man executed for drinking alcohol".
19. "Qatar hands death penalty to Nepali".
20. (26 June 2012). "British man sentenced to death in UAE for selling marijuana".
21. (23 March 2020). "Yemen: Huthi-run court upholds death sentence against Baha'i prisoner of conscience".
22. (22 April 2015). "Death penalty introduced for drug offenders in Oman".