The leader of Brunei said the country would not enforce laws introduced last month that make gay sex punishable by the death penalty.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said Sunday he was extending a moratorium on the death penalty after the rollout of new Islamic laws after global outrage that the country would impose death by stoning on those convicted of gay sex, adultery, and rape.
The Asian nation introduced Sharia law in 2014, and has enforced legislation and penalties in stages.
“For more than two decades, we have practiced a de facto moratorium on the execution of death penalty for cases under the common law. This will also be applied to cases under the Syariah Penal Code Order,” the sultan said, according to news reports.
“Both the common law and the Syariah law aim to ensure peace and harmony of the country. They are also crucial in protecting the morality and decency of the public as well as respecting the privacy of individuals,” he said.
The announcement follows a global outcry over the laws, including celebrity protests and boycotts. Actor George Clooney and Elton John were among the celebrities who joined human rights groups in encouraging a boycott of hotels owned by the sultan. JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank also told employees to avoid the hotels.
While the announcement was welcomed, there is still fear the laws remain in place.
“There is nothing stopping the Brunei Government from lifting the moratorium at any time,” Matthew Woolfe, the founder of human rights groups The Brunei Project, told CNN.
