BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Reuters) - 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. 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 the 1990s. "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. "Both the common law and the Syariah law aim to ensure peace and harmony of the country," he said.

Source: The Star May 05, 2019 14:15 UTC