(CNN) Brunei will not impose the death penalty on those convicted of having gay sex, in an apparent bid to temper international condemnation following its roll out of strict new Islamic laws last month.

In a televised speech on Sunday, the country's ruler, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, said he would extend a moratorium on capital punishment and ratify the United Nations Convention Against Torture.

The announcement follows a global backlash to the country's announcement in April that it would impose draconian new punishments , including death by stoning, for those convicted of gay sex, adultery and rape.

In a high profile campaign, celebrities, including George Clooney and Elton John, joined rights groups in seeking to boycott hotels owned by the sultan , while large companies including JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank told their staff to avoid using Brunei-owned hotels in the wake of new laws.

The tiny oil-rich Asian kingdom became the first East Asian country to introduce Sharia law at a national level in 2014, introducing the legislation and associated penalties in stages.

The country initially defended its new legal code, claiming it focused "more on prevention and punishment," but the growing backlash appears to have forced the kingdom's hand.

In his speech on Sunday, the sultan said there had been a number of "misconceptions" about the laws which he acknowledged may have caused "apprehension."

"However, we believe that once these have been cleared, the merit of the law will be evident," he said.

The sultan announced the kingdom's long-term moratorium on the death penalty would also extend to the new penal code, although he didn't elaborate whether this was a new decision.

"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 (SPCO)," the sultan said.

Despite his announcement on the death penalty, Brunei's leader said Sunday he stood by his new penal code overall.

"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.

LGBT citizens still face punishment

There was widespread relief among LGBT and human rights activists in the wake of the announcement. Celebrations though have so far been muted, amid concerns that the laws themselves remain in place.

Human Rights Campaign Director of Global Partnership Jean Freedberg said the moratorium was an important step but added the new Islamic penal code itself needed to go.

"The world has turned its eyes to Brunei in recent months and we urge the countless advocates, activists and organizations who seized this moment to speak out against these human rights abuses to continue to do so," she said.

A gay man living inside Brunei, who asked not to be named, said while the sultan's announcement was "good news," it did nothing to address widespread homophobia and discrimination in the kingdom.

"If they don't do anything to show that they are supporting the LGBT community, nothing will change. Religion still has a major effect towards homophobia," he said.

Even if they weren't put to death, LGBT citizens of Brunei could still face fines, whipping or jail, said Matthew Woolfe, founder of human rights groups The Brunei Project.

The law is still hanging over the heads of Brunei's LGBT community, Woolfe said. "There is nothing stopping the Brunei Government from lifting the moratorium at any time."</s>Image copyright Reuters Image caption The speech is the first time Brunei's ruler has responded to global pressure over the new laws

Brunei has backtracked on enforcing laws introduced last month that would have made sex between men and adultery punishable by stoning to death.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah on Sunday extended a moratorium on the death penalty to cover the new legislation.

The rethink follows global outcry over the laws, including boycotts and celebrity protests.

While still on the statute books for some crimes, no executions have been carried out in Brunei since 1957.

Last month Brunei rolled out a strict new interpretation of Islamic laws, or Sharia.

In a speech, the sultan said he was aware there had been "many questions and misperceptions" regarding the implementation of the legislation, called Syariah Penal Code Order (SPCO).

While saying that a moratorium on the death penalty would be applied to the SPCO he also defended the new rules, saying their "merit" would become clear.

The speech marks the first time the country's ruler has spoken publicly about the legislation since their introduction.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said she was "delighted the death penalty has been removed and that the de facto moratorium which has been in place for more than two decades, will also cover the SPCO".

Homosexuality was already illegal in Brunei and punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Muslims make up about two-thirds of the country's population of 420,000.

What are the laws?

The small South-East Asian nation first introduced Sharia law in 2014, giving it a dual legal system with both Sharia and Common Law.

The first phase covered crimes punishable by prison sentences and fines.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption "As a kid... we were taught the stones should not be too big"

The laws introduced on 3 April marked the next phase of the legislation, and covered crimes punishable by amputation and stoning.

Under the legislation:

Offences such as rape, adultery, sodomy, robbery and insult or defamation of the Prophet Muhammad carry the maximum penalty of death

Lesbian sex carries a different penalty of 40 strokes of the cane and/or a maximum of 10 years in jail

The punishment for theft is amputation

Those who "persuade, tell or encourage" Muslim children under the age of 18 "to accept the teachings of religions other than Islam" are liable to a fine or jail

Individuals who have not reached puberty but are convicted of certain offences may be instead subjected to whipping.

What was the reaction?

The laws sparked international outrage, throwing the tiny South-East Asian nation into the global spotlight.

Ahead of their implementation, the UN warned that the laws contravened international human rights standards set out in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights - which was ratified by Brunei in 2006.

Celebrities including George Clooney and Elton John called for a boycott of luxury hotels with links to Brunei over the legislation.

Mr Clooney said the new laws amounted to "human rights violations".

Many in Brunei's gay community expressed shock and fear at the punishments.</s>Brunei's sultan has said a moratorium on capital punishment is in effect for new Shariah criminal laws including stoning people for gay sex and adultery that sparked an international outcry.

The United Nations has called the laws implemented April 3 "draconian" while the U.S. and several other countries have urged Brunei to halt its plans. Celebrities including George Clooney, Elton John and Ellen DeGeneres have rallied for a boycott of nine hotels in the U.S. and Europe linked to Brunei.

Even before 2014, homosexuality was already punishable in Brunei by a jail term of up to 10 years. The new laws say those found guilty of gay sex can be stoned to death or whipped. Adulterers risk death by stoning too, while thieves face amputation of a right hand on their first offense and a left foot on their second. The new laws apply to children and foreigners, even if they are not Muslim.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said Sunday in a speech to mark the start of Ramadan that he was aware of the "many questions and misperceptions" over the penalties provided for under new sections of Brunei's Shariah Penal Code, but stressed that there should be no fear.

Brunei has had a "de facto moratorium" on capital punishment for over two decades and "this will also be applied to cases under the (Shariah laws) which provides a wider scope for remission," he said. The announcement came as a surprise but appeared aimed at deflecting criticism that Islamic criminal laws are cruel.

"We are conscious of the fact that misperceptions may cause apprehension. However, we believe that once these have been cleared, the merit of the law will be evident," the sultan said. Sultan Hassanal said Brunei will also ratify the U.N. Convention Against Torture to show its commitment to human rights.

"Both the common law and the Shariah 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 added.

In an immediate reaction, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland on Monday hailed the moratorium on the death penalty but also urged Brunei to revoke other harsh punishments such as amputation and flogging. Brunei is a member of the Commonwealth.

Sultan Hassanal instituted the Shariah Penal Code in 2014 to bolster the influence of Islam in the oil-rich monarchy of around 430,000 people, two-thirds of whom are Muslim. There has been no vocal opposition to the new penalties in Brunei, where the sultan rules as head of state with full executive authority. Public criticism of his policies is extremely rare in the country.</s>Sultan Of Brunei Announces Gay Sex Will Not Be Punished With Death Penalty

The Sultan of Brunei has announced the Southeast Asian country will not enforce the death penalty for gay sex following a backlash.

In a rare public statement on the website of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah the small nation announced that the new law would not lead to executions.

Announced last month the new rules prompted celebrities to call for a boycott on hotels owned by the country's leader.

Demonstrators carried placards and banners calling for solidarity outside hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei.

Protests were organised shortly after the south-eastern nation implemented sharia law, meaning that anybody found guilty of gay sex could be stoned to death.

But a group of celebrities, including George Clooney and Ellen DeGeneres, called for a boycott of the properties owned by the kingdom of Brunei.

The Dorchester in London and the Beverley Hills Hotel in LA are among the hotels owned by the Sultan.

No executions have been carried out in Brunei since the 1990s.</s>The Sultan of Brunei says the country WON'T enforce the death penalty for gay sex after an international backlash.

The dramatic U-turn on the plans to introduce the hard-line punishment for same-sex unions will be hailed as a victory by LGBT rights campaigners and celebrities fighting Brunei's incoming legislation.

The tiny south-east Asian country today extended its moratorium on introducing the internationally-criticised interpretation of Islamic Sharia laws.

Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah rethink comes after its plans were thrust into the global spotlight in the backlash led by celebrities including George Clooney and Elton John.

The protests included boycotts of the sultan's own hotels and threated the country's tourism industry.

The country sparked an outcry when it rolled out its latest interpretation of Islamic laws, known as Sharia, on April 3.

It would have seen Brunei punish sodomy, adultery and rape with death - including by stoning.

The country also planned to introduced a separate penalty for lesbian sex, with punishment including 40 strokes of the cane and up to 10 years in jail.

Brunei has consistently defended its right to implement the laws, which began to kick in from 2014.

However, in a rare response to criticism aimed at the oil-rich state, the sultan said the death penalty would not be imposed when Brunei implements its Syariah (Sharia) Penal Code Order (SPCO).

“I am aware that there are many questions and misperceptions with regard to the implementation of the SPCO," the sultan said in a speech ahead of the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

"However, we believe that once these have been cleared, the merit of the law will be evident.

“As evident for more than two decades, we have practiced a de facto moratorium on the execution of death penalty for cases under the common law. "

Crimes including murder and drug trafficking already attract the death penalty in Brunei.

However no executions have been carried out since the 1990s.

The vastly wealthy sultan, who once piloted his own 747 airliner to meet former US president Barack Obama, often faces criticism from activists who view his absolute monarchy as despotic.

However, it is unusual for the leader to respond, and even more so for the sultan’s office to release an official English translation of his speech as it did today.

“Both the common law and the Syariah (Sharia) law aim to ensure peace and harmony of the country,” the sultan continued in today's speech.

“They are also crucial in protecting the morality and decency of the country as well as the privacy of individuals.”

The law’s implementation, which the United Nations condemned, prompted celebrities and rights groups to seek a boycott on hotels owned by the sultan, including the Dorchester in London and the Beverley Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.

Several multinational companies have since put a ban on staff using the sultan’s hotels, while some travel companies have stopped promoting Brunei as a tourist destination.</s>KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Brunei’s sultan says a moratorium on capital punishment is in effect for new Shariah criminal laws including stoning people for gay sex and adultery that sparked an international outcry.

The United Nations has called the new laws “draconian” while the U.S. and several other countries had urged Brunei to halt its plans. Celebrities including George Clooney, Elton John and Ellen DeGeneres have rallied for a boycott of nine hotels in the U.S. and Europe linked to Brunei.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said Sunday that Brunei has had a “de facto moratorium” on capital punishment for over two decades and “this will also be applied to cases under the” new Shariah laws. The announcement came as a surprise but appeared aimed at deflecting criticism that Islamic criminal laws are cruel.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>The sultan of Brunei announced Sunday a suspension on a death penalty punishment for gay sex, after facing an international uproar over the new law.

The announcement came during a TV broadcast with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. He agreed to ratify the United Nations Convention Against Torture and extend a moratorium on the death penalty, CNN reported.

The law making gay sex or adultery punishable by whipping or stoning to death is part of several statutes that took effect April 3 in the tiny, oil-rich Southeast Asian country to enact Sharia law.

This is the second time the sultan has backed down from enacting parts of Sharia law because of public outcry. The new penal code was originally announced in 2013, but protests pushed Brunei to delay its actual enactment until April 2019, The New York Times reported.

The harsh penalties enacted in April propelled the small sultanate into the international spotlight again, prompting celebrities like Elton John and George Clooney to urge the boycott of Brunei’s luxury hotel properties, which include The Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles and The Dorchester in London.

Gay sex no longer carries capital punishment, however, homosexuality is still illegal in Brunei and punishable by jail and whippings. It is not known how long the moratorium on capital punishment will last.

Bolkiah, 72, rules with full executive authority and has supported the monarchy’s adoption of a more conservative Islamic culture, including a ban on alcohol sales, according to CNN.

Approximately three-fourths of Brunei’s 450,000 citizens are Muslim, with Christians and Buddhists making up most of the remainder, according to the CIA’s World Factbook.

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Copyright 2019 Daily Caller News Foundation

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected]</s>After widespread condemnation, Brunei announced on Sunday that it will not carry out capital punishment—including stoning—for gay sex and adultery under its new interpretation of Shariah criminal laws.

The United Nations has called the new laws "draconian" while the U.S. and several other countries had urged Brunei to halt its plans. Celebrities including George Clooney, Elton John and Ellen DeGeneres have rallied for a boycott of nine hotels in the U.S. and Europe linked to Brunei.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said Sunday that Brunei has had a "de facto moratorium" on capital punishment for over two decades and "this will also be applied to cases under the" new Shariah laws. The announcement came as a surprise but appeared aimed at deflecting criticism that Islamic criminal laws are cruel.

The Associated Press contributed to this report</s>Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah on Sunday extended a moratorium on the death penalty to incoming legislation prohibiting gay sex, seeking to temper a global backlash led by celebrities such as George Clooney and Elton John.

The small Southeast Asian country sparked an outcry when it rolled out its interpretation of Islamic laws, or sharia, on April 3, punishing sodomy, adultery and rape with death, including by stoning.

Brunei has consistently defended its right to implement the laws, elements of which were first adopted in 2014 and which have been rolled out in phases since then.

Read also: People in Brunei who engage in gay sex and adultery can be stoned to death under a new law

However, in a rare response to criticism aimed at the oil-rich state, the sultan said the death penalty would not be imposed in the implementation of the Syariah Penal Code Order (SPCO).

Some crimes already command the death penalty in Brunei, including premeditated murder and drug trafficking, but no executions have been carried out since 1957.

“I am aware that there are many questions and misperceptions with regard to the implementation of the SPCO. However, we believe that once these have been cleared, the merit of the law will be evident,” the sultan said in a speech ahead of the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

“As evident 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 SPCO which provides a wider scope for remission.”

Read also: Brunei said people shouldn’t criticize its new law punishing being gay with death by stoning, because it will probably never use it

“Step into right direction, but definitely not enough,” tweeted Renate Künast, a former German cabinet minister and a member of the Green Party.

Tom Knight, a columnist for Gay Times Magazine, described it as “fantastic news” but urged caution.

Read also: The sultan of Brunei enacted new laws punishing homosexuality with death by stoning to clean up his image as a big-spending playboy, critics say

“The power of activism can help create change, but the fight isn’t over. These laws need to be repealed, not just unenforced,” Knight tweeted.

The vastly wealthy sultan, who once piloted his own 747 airliner to meet former US president Barack Obama, often faces criticism from activists who view his absolute monarchy as despotic, but it is unusual for him to respond.

The sultan’s office released an official English translation of his speech, which is not common practice.

“Both the common law and the Syariah law aim to ensure peace and harmony of the country,” he said.

“They are also crucial in protecting the morality and decency of the country as well as the privacy of individuals.”

Read also: Here’s a list of everyone who is boycotting or cutting ties with Brunei after it introduced new laws to punish homosexuality with death by stoning

The law’s implementation, which the United Nations condemned, prompted celebrities and rights groups to seek a boycott on hotels owned by the sultan, including the Dorchester in London and the Beverley Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.

Several multinational companies have since put a ban on staff using the sultan’s hotels, while some travel companies have stopped promoting Brunei as a tourist destination.

Read also: Inside the surreal capital city of Brunei, a tiny nation of unimaginable wealth where oil money pays for everything and half the population lives in a floating ‘water village’</s>KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Brunei’s sultan has said a moratorium on capital punishment is in effect for new Shariah criminal laws including stoning people for gay sex and adultery that sparked an international outcry.

The United Nations has called the laws implemented April 3 “draconian” while the U.S. and several other countries have urged Brunei to halt its plans. Celebrities including George Clooney, Elton John and Ellen DeGeneres have rallied for a boycott of nine hotels in the U.S. and Europe linked to Brunei.

Even before 2014, homosexuality was already punishable in Brunei by a jail term of up to 10 years. The new laws say those found guilty of gay sex can be stoned to death or whipped. Adulterers risk death by stoning too, while thieves face amputation of a right hand on their first offence and a left foot on their second. The new laws apply to children and foreigners, even if they are not Muslim.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said Sunday in a speech to mark the start of Ramadan that he was aware of the “many questions and misperceptions” over the penalties provided for under new sections of Brunei’s Shariah Penal Code, but stressed that there should be no fear.

Brunei has had a “de facto moratorium” on capital punishment for over two decades and “this will also be applied to cases under the (Shariah laws) which provides a wider scope for remission,” he said. The announcement came as a surprise but appeared aimed at deflecting criticism that Islamic criminal laws are cruel.
Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah announces, via a television broadcast, that he has extended the moratorium on capital punishment for gay sex convictions. No executions have been carried out in Brunei since 1957. There has been overwhelming international backlash against a number of the changes affected by the stricter interpretation of Islamic law published on 3 April 2019. The Sultan also said Brunei will ratify the United Nations Convention against Torture.