Statistics and figures in the biography of the execution 1943-2009
An official count of the execution of 51 people in Lebanon was made (in light of the impossibility of comprehensive monitoring and the absence of accurate official documentation).
Others, for whom there are no statistics, were “officially” executed by militias during the Lebanese war (1975-1990), and newspapers published some of the executions in text and with pictures.
After the war and in the shadow of the state in 1994, a unique execution was carried out in the Lebanese Republic against the 16-year-old Hussein Awada in Baalbek, who was shot in front of people according to “Islamic law”.
Then the state carried out 14 executions between 1994 and 1998, and three executions together on January 19, 2004.
Since 2004, there has been a kind of de facto “freeze” of executions (Moratorium de facto).
All those executed were male, although death sentences were passed against women without any of them being carried out.
33 of the executions were by hanging. 14 were shot.
55% of them were between 17 and 27 years old.
44% of them were qualified and had children.
41 of them are Lebanese, and 11 are of different nationalities (Syria, Palestine, Egypt, under study…).
24 of them were killed because of poverty, 8 because of rape / betrayal / emotional crises, 4 for revenge, 13 for political goals (including the head of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party Anton Saadeh and 6 of his companions), and 3 for sectarian reasons.
Poverty is the common feature of the majority of those executed.
- Currently: There are 43 people under sentence of death in Lebanon, of different nationalities, in Roumieh and Tripoli prisons.
Republic eras
19 Execution: The President of the Republic, Bechara El-Khoury, covenanted with the heads of government, Gabriel El-Murr, Riad El-Solh and Sami El-Solh.
6 executions: President Camille Chamoun, with heads of government Saeb Salam, Abdallah El Yafi, Gabriel El-Murr and Sami El Solh.
4 executions: President Fouad Chehab covenanted with heads of government, Rashid Karameh and Saeb Salam.
No executions: the reign of President Charles Helou.
4 executions: President Suleiman Franjieh covenanted with Prime Minister Saeb Salam.
No Executions: The Reign of President Elias Sarkis.
1 Single execution: President Amin Gemayel covenanted with Prime Minister Shafiq al-Wazzan (during the war – 1983).
14 Execution: President Elias Hrawi covenanted with Prime Minister Rafic Hariri.
3 executions: President Emile Lahoud covenanted with Prime Minister Rafic Hariri.
–: The current covenant with President Michel Suleiman.
In 2000, during the era of President Emile Lahoud, Prime Minister Salim El-Hoss refrained from signing two execution decrees against two young men, attributing his stance to conscientious convictions, in a rare situation in the republic’s era: “I held the position of prime minister in Lebanon five times, during which I did not sign a decree to execute anyone. Isn’t it time to reconsider this punishment in Lebanon?