Anti-capital punishment activists praised the recent...

Anti-capital punishment activists praised the recent amendment of the death sentence "as a step in the right direction" but urged the government to abolish the practice entirely.
During the previous month's Parliamentary session, a majority of MPs voted to amend Article 302 of the Penal Code, which stipulated that all those who commit murder must receive the death penalty.
If endorsed by President Emile Lahoud, the amended law would allow judges to hand down more lenient sentences, based on the intentions of criminals and their circumstances.
"The amendment proves that when serious action is taken, we can reap results, but it still falls short of our demands," Ghassan Mokheiber, president of the Association for the Defense of Rights and Liberties, said.