On Monday, the U.N. called on Brunei to stop new laws, set to go into effect Wednesday, that would bring back the death penalty for homosexuality and adultery, among other so-called offenses. The law would also allow corporal punishments like flogging and amputation. Brunei has effectively had a moratorium on the death penalty since 1957, but recently announced plans to implement elements of Sharia law in the Muslim-majority nation. This is a spokesperson for the U.N. Office for Human Rights.
Ravina Shamdasani: “The death penalty always, without a doubt, disproportionately affects people who are already vulnerable, in every part of the world where it is still retained. Women, minorities, people who come from poor backgrounds are particularly vulnerable to the application of the death penalty. And no judiciary in the world is free from mistakes.”
Celebrities including actor George Clooney and musician and LGBT rights advocate Elton John have called for a boycott of hotels owned by the sultan of Brunei, which include the Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air.