Brunei is being globally condemned for enacting law that makes gay sex punishable with death by stoning

Brunei is enacting harsh new Sharia laws which will mean people who engage in same-sex intercourse could be punished to death by stoning.

The country’s leader, sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, said he wanted to "see Islamic teachings in this country grow stronger".

The law will be rolled out across the south-east Asian country and, in addition, rape, adultery, robbery, and insulting the prophet Muhammed are all punishable by death.

This has been seen as mediaeval and a step into the past by politicians and celebrities alike, and they are coming out in their droves to protest the new law, which would not only criminalise homosexuality, but it would make it an offence punishable by death.

Comedian Ellen DeGeneres was one of the first to condemn the decision, and called on her fans to boycott nine luxury hotels owned by the sultan of Brunei.

Tweeting about it, she wrote: “Tomorrow, the country of #Brunei will start stoning gay people to death. We need to do something now,” DeGeneres tweeted on Tuesday. “Please boycott these hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei.”

Raise your voices now. Spread the word. Rise up.

Celebrities and politicians lent their voice to the cause.

LGBT+ charity Stonewall are ‘extremely concerned’ about Brunei’s gay citizens.

Leanne MacMillan, director of international campaigns at Stonewall, said: “We continue to be extremely concerned by what’s happening in Brunei. Stonewall, along with many other LGBT+ groups and human rights organisations, strongly condemn this alarming situation.”

Since the news broke last week, we’ve seen so many people and organisations from across the world speak out and voice their disgust. We are raising our concerns with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and will continue to stand in solidarity with LGBT+ people in Brunei.

Amnesty International is calling on Brunei to halt the ‘vicious’ new punishments.

Rachel Chhoa-Howard, Amnesty International’s Brunei researcher, said:

Brunei must immediately halt its plans to implement these vicious punishments and revise its Penal Code in compliance with its human rights obligations.

The international community must urgently condemn Brunei’s move to put these cruel penalties into practice.

Some of the potential ‘offences’ should not even be deemed crimes at all, including consensual sex between adults of the same gender.

The European Union likened it to 'torture'.

In a statement the European Union said:

Some of the punishments foreseen in the criminal code amount to torture, acts of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

Executive director of Human Rights Watch Kenneth Roth called it ‘barbaric'.

Actor Luke Evans supports the boycott.

And Jordan Young called it 'beyond vile'.

Actor Eugene Lee Yang called the new law 'depraved'.

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