Parliament passed an amnesty law on August 12 after years of delay, but the measure now awaits the president's decision as families of detainees stage protests demanding swift implementation.
Parliament approved a general amnesty law in August 2026 after prolonged debate, aimed at addressing one of the most acute social and judicial crises in the country: severe prison overcrowding, slow trials, and harsh conditions for detainees.
Recent deaths in Romieh and Zahleh prisons prompted families and human rights advocates to take to the streets in Tripoli, the Bekaa and Beirut, demanding that President Joseph Aoun sign and implement the law, calling it an end to the "death counter" running in Lebanese prisons.
The amnesty law now sits with the presidency, bound by constitutional deadlines. Deputy Walid al-Barani told VDLnews that the president has three constitutional options: sign the law, reject it and return it to Parliament, or let the constitutional deadline expire, making the law automatically enforceable.
Al-Barani said a decision should come within twelve days under the constitutional timeline and predicted the president would not reject the law. He cautioned against premature escalation while the process unfolds.
The shape of the final law remains contentious among some political forces and rights groups, with discussion of possible constitutional court challenges to specific articles. Among Sunni parliamentarians, concerns persist that the amnesty does not adequately address Islamic detainees, a long-standing grievance in the Sunni street.
Al-Barani framed the law as the best achievable under current political conditions, describing it as an important point of convergence after years of stalemate. He acknowledged that it falls short of many demands but situated it within existing power dynamics.
Once the law takes effect, a new question will emerge: what becomes of detainees not covered by it or whose cases remain stalled in courts. Al-Barani said parliamentary tracking of remaining cases will continue on both political and judicial levels, with no closure on the file until all grievances are addressed.
