BEIRUT, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Lebanon's parliament on Tuesday abolished the death penalty and replaced all existing ‌death sentences with life imprisonment, the speaker's office ‌said in a statement. The move makes it the first country in ​the Middle East to formally end capital punishment, after maintaining a de facto moratorium on executions since 2004, although dozens of people had remained technically on death row. ‌Crimes that were ⁠punishable with a death sentence included murder and treason. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementThe European Union welcomed the ​move, saying ​Lebanon was setting "a powerful ​example for other countries" ‌in the Middle East and beyond. "Lebanon's decision to abolish the death penalty marks a major milestone and a victory for human rights in the country," said Amnesty International's Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa ‌Heba Morayef.