The Sultan of Brunei Brunei’s brutal new Islamic penal code, which will eventually see people who have gay sex stoned to death, is being phased in from today. The first phase of the implementation of Sharia Law will be fines and jail time for: theft, illicit sexual relations, making unproven accusations of illicit sex, causing physical hurt, drinking intoxicants, apostasy, and acts contrary to Islamic beliefs. The second phase will be amputations for theft, while the third phase will be death by stoning for the likes of adultery, rape and gay sex. The third phase is expected to be brought in within three years and the laws will be applied to both Muslims and non-Muslims “except where expressly provided”. The Sultan of Brunei believes it’s “now part of the great history of our nation”, however international condemnation has been swift. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says the death penalty for such a broad range of offences contravenes international law, while Amnesty International says Brunei is legalising cruel and inhuman punishments, and must be revoked immediately. “'The new code even permits stoning to death for acts which should not be considered ‘crimes’ in the first place, such as extramarital sexual relations and consensual sex between adults of the same gender,” Amnesty International says. Celebrities are among those calling for boycotts of the Dorchester Hotel Group, which the Sultan owns.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 1st May 2014 - 3:43pm