Kate McHale
Staff Writer
Brunei has thrown itself into the world’s spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
The Islamic nation has decided that they are going to hand out stoning death penalties for their LGBT community. This has drawn the ire of many countries around the world as well as The United Nations.
The UN released a statement in regards to the news through Rupert Colville, a spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“Application of the death penalty for such a broad range of offenses contravenes international law.” Rape, adultery, sodomy, extramarital sexual relations for Muslims, insulting any verses of the Quran and Hadith, blasphemy, declaring oneself a prophet or non-Muslim, and murder are the other offenses for which the death penalty could be applied under the revised code.
Noting that Brunei has maintained an effective moratorium on the use of the death penalty since 1957, OHCHR urged the government to establish a formal moratorium and to work towards abolishing the practice altogether. “Under international law, stoning people to death constitutes torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and is thus clearly prohibited.”
It is so hard to fathom a country that is so willing to stone people to death because of who they love. It is also hard to believe Brunei has decided to make such a drastic jump from their last ruling, which stated that homosexuality could be punished with up to 10 years in a prison. We can only hope that Brunei does not go through with this ruling.
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