From 3 April 2019, the full sharia penal code (law) will be in force in Brunei. Smartraveller says the new law “… applies to Muslims, non-Muslim and foreigners even when on Brunei registered aircraft and vessels. Under this code some offences can attract physical punishment while others attract executions. Offences that attract the death penalty include blasphemy, sodomy, adultery, rape and murder.”
Smartraveller has specific advice for LGBTI travellers.
Although homosexuality has long been illegal in Brunei, the introduction of sharia law means that Muslims (and some non-Muslims) accused of engaging in homosexual activities will be sentenced to death, most likely through whipping and stoning.
Politicians around the globe have been quick to condemn the new laws, and celebrities including George Clooney and Elton John, have called for a boycott of luxury hotels owned by The Brunei Investment Company, among them the Beverly Hills Hotel in LA, the Dorchester in London and the Plaza Athenee in Paris.
