UN Slams ‘Inhuman’ Brunei Law On Stoning For Adultery, Gay Sex
The United Nations decried Monday new “cruel and inhuman” legal guidelines set to impact Brunei this week, which impose loss of life using stoning for homosexual intercourse and adultery and amputations for robbery.
“I enchant to the government to prevent the access into the pressure of this draconian new penal code, which might mark a serious setback for human rights protections for the human beings of Brunei if applied,” UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said in a statement.
Brunei, an absolute monarchy ruled for fifty-one years by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, will implement the new penal code starting Wednesday.
Brunei first introduced the measures in 2013, but implementation has been behind schedule due to competition from rights groups and as officials worked out the practical details.
The new law stipulates the death penalty for some offenses, such as rape, adultery, sodomy, theft, and insulting or defaming the Prophet Mohammad.
It also introduces public flogging as punishment for abortion and amputation for robbery and criminalizes exposing Muslim kids to the beliefs and practices of any faith besides Islam.
Bachelet mentioned that a considerable range of UN rights experts had “expressed their issues approximately the cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments contained in the Penal Code order.”
Her comments came after a long line of politicians and celebrities, including George Clooney and Elton John, condemned the brand-new legal guidelines and called for a boycott of lodges owned by the Sultanate.
Homosexuality has long been unlawful in Brunei, which practices a stricter emblem of Islam than neighbors Malaysia and Indonesia; however, it’s going to come now to be a capital offense.
The law applies best to Muslims.
Last execution in 1957
Bachelet advised Brunei to uphold a high lifestyle of no longer using the death penalty laws that have remained on its books. Us of a closing accomplished an execution in 1957.
She harassed that global regulation imposes very stringent rules on the usage of the demise penalty, which may handiest be applied for the crimes of homicide and intentional killing, and handiest after all due process necessities were met.
“In reality, no judiciary within the international can claim to be mistake-free, and evidence shows that the loss of life penalty is disproportionately implemented against those who are already vulnerable, with an excessive hazard of miscarriages of justice,” Bachelet stated.
“I urge Brunei to preserve its de facto moratorium on the use of capital punishment.”
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also warned that the new legal guidelines ought to encourage violence and discrimination on the idea of gender, sexual orientation, and nonsecular association.
