Sultan of Brunei Says Country Will Not Execute Gays

Brunei will not be executing gay people after all.

The country implemented sharia law last month, sparking backlash throughout the world due to a law that would allow for homosexuality and adultery to be punished by execution.

The decision was met with the promise of a boycott of hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei’s Investment Agency, including two prominent Los Angeles hotels.

But now Sultan Hassanal Boliah has announced that no executions will take place.

“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 [Syriah Penal Code Order] which provides a wider scope for remission,” he said.

It’s a far cry from justice, as homosexuality is still illegal and punishable under this rule, but it is at least confirmation that the death penalty will not be enforced.

This is a step away from the country’s previous public statement to the European Union, which said only that the death penalty would have an “extremely high evidentiary threshold.”

It is unclear whether the boycotts of Brunei-owned businesses will remain in effect, as the Sultan continues to defend these outdated laws in general, even without the death penalty attached.

“I am away 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,” he said.