Brunei drops death penalty for gay sex and adultery
Brunei has dropped the death penalty for people convicted of adultery and gay sex following a celebrity-led backlash against the new law announced last month.
Several travel groups and celebrities including George Clooney and Elton John had urged a boycott of the country and hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei, including The Dorchester in London and Beverley Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, after Brunei announced it would introduce the death penalty for sodomy, adultery and rape.
In a rare public statement, the Sultan announced on Sunday that its moratorium on executions, introduced in the 1990s, would be extended to these actions listed under the new Syariah Penal Code Order.
"As evident for more than two decades, we have practiced a de facto moratorium on the death penalty for cases under the common law. This will also be applied to cases under the SPCO which provides a wider scope for remission," said SultanHassanal Bolkiah.
The newly-enacted Islamic laws sparked protests around the world, impacting the Dorchester Collection hotel group, which is owned by Brunei’s leader, and national airline, Royal Brunei.
Brunei had planned to enact the death penalty for gay sex back in 2013, but a similar international outcry put that on hold.
The Sultan said there were ‘many questions and misperceptions with regard to the implementation’ of the laws.
The country still has harsh penalties for a number of other crimes such as theft, including whipping and amputation.
The oil-rich state has been prioritising tourism in recent years but the past few months has taken its toll on its credibility as a welcoming destination for tourists.
"The reality is this is all about trying to abate the international pressure coming on Brunei," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, adding: "The Brunei brand is taking a hard hit."
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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