Proposed general amnesty law could free 3,000 prisoners in Lebanon

Report by Nada Andraos, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

A proposed general amnesty law under discussion in Lebanon could lead to the immediate release of around 3,000 prisoners once the law is published in the official gazette, according to official figures.

Lebanon's prisons currently hold 8,587 inmates. The proposed law would apply to prisoners convicted in drug-related cases, misdemeanors, felonies, and cases involving Islamist detainees.

According to the final official figures, 90 Islamist prisoners out of a total of 132 would be released immediately. The remaining 42 would continue serving reduced sentences ranging between two and 10 years. Among the prominent detainees expected to remain imprisoned under reduced terms are Ahmad al-Assir, Naim Abbas, and Abou Taqiyeh.

The law would also cover 1,802 prisoners convicted of drug-related offenses. 

However, since amendments were introduced to sentence reductions, authorities have not yet finalized the exact number of detainees who would be released immediately versus those who would continue serving reduced prison terms.

The same applies to prisoners convicted of misdemeanors and felonies. A total of 1,488 inmates from that category would benefit from the amnesty. Most are expected to be released once the law takes effect, while a smaller number would remain in prison to complete reduced sentences calculated on a case-by-case basis.

The delayed release of 422 inmates included in the law stems mainly from the severity of their original sentences. Most were sentenced either to death, life imprisonment, or lengthy prison terms.

Under the proposed amendments, death sentences would be converted into 21 years of effective imprisonment, while life sentences would be reduced to 12 years and seven months. All other prison terms would be reduced by one-third.

Authorities would then calculate how long each inmate has already spent in detention to determine whether they qualify for immediate release or must serve additional time under the revised sentencing framework.

The draft law still faces political and legal hurdles before final approval. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri indicated that further discussions and consensus are needed because of ongoing objections.

Some Islamist detainees who would remain imprisoned under the revised law have expressed dissatisfaction with the proposal, while the Lebanese Armed Forces have also raised concerns.

According to sources, the army had submitted alternative recommendations that were not adopted, including replacing death sentences with life imprisonment rather than sharply reducing them, and reducing life sentences to 30 years of effective imprisonment instead of the shorter terms currently proposed.

If approved, the legislation would become Lebanon's eighth amnesty law since independence.

Supporters argue the measure is necessary to ease severe overcrowding in Lebanese prisons, while critics see it as another politically negotiated compromise under a longstanding sectarian balancing approach.