Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said a moratorium on the death penalty will be extended to the county's Islamic penal code.

The small, Muslim majority sultanate on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo drew international condemnation when it rolled out its interpretation of sharia laws on April 3.

The new punishments included the death penalty for gay sex, adultery and rape.

The sultan said that there had been "misperceptions" about the new law, called the Syariah Penal Code Order (SPCO), in a television address to welcome the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

"We are conscious of the fact that misperceptions may cause apprehension. However, we believe that once these have been cleared, the merit of the law will be evident," he said.

"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. This will also be applied to cases under the SPCO, which provides a wider scope for remission," the sultan added.

Sultan Bolkiah added that the country would ratify the United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT).

Changes following outcry

The implementation of the laws sparked outrage around the world, with the United Nations condemning the move.

The laws also sparked calls from human rights groups and celebrities like George Clooney and Elton John to call for a boycott on luxury hotels owned by the sultan. The hotels included the Dorchester in London and the Beverley Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.

Sultan Bolkiah, one of the wealthiest men in the world, frequently faces criticism from activists, but it is unusual for him to respond to backlash.

Some crimes in Brunei already carry the death penalty, including drug trafficking and premeditated murder, but no executions have taken place since the 1990s.

Members of the LGBTQ community have long faced discrimination in Brunei, a sultanate home to more than 420,000 people.

Bolkiah, sultan of Brunei, celebrates 50 years in power Marking 50 years on throne Brunei’s fabulously wealthy sultan marked 50 years on the throne in lavish style, traveling in a gilded chariot pulled by dozens of his subjects.

Bolkiah, sultan of Brunei, celebrates 50 years in power Bruneians waiting to see the sultan Tens of thousands of well-wishers lined the streets, waving the country's flag and cheering as the sultan passed by in his chariot.

Bolkiah, sultan of Brunei, celebrates 50 years in power The sultan and the queen The ruler and his wife, Queen Saleha, sat on golden thrones during a procession to mark his golden jubilee of accession to the throne in Bandar Seri Begawan. The 71-year-old is the 29th sultan of Brunei from a royal family that has ruled the country continuously for over 600 years.

Bolkiah, sultan of Brunei, celebrates 50 years in power All that glitters ... Behind its gilded facade, Brunei is an absolute monarchy with strict Shariah-based laws. Homosexuality is punishable by death — by hanging or stoning.

Bolkiah, sultan of Brunei, celebrates 50 years in power The longer-reigning monarch Only one living sovereign has ruled her people longer: Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, pictured here with the sultan in 2015. She ascended to her throne on February 6, 1952.

Bolkiah, sultan of Brunei, celebrates 50 years in power A palace with 1,800 rooms The sultan held his royal audience in the throne room of the palace, a vast complex of resplendent white buildings with golden domes and almost 1,800 rooms.

Bolkiah, sultan of Brunei, celebrates 50 years in power One of the world's richest nations With a population of about 400,000 people, Brunei is one of the world's wealthiest nations — thanks in large part to abundant oil and gas reserves.

Bolkiah, sultan of Brunei, celebrates 50 years in power Two weeks of celebrations The festivities will continue on Friday, when Asian and Middle Eastern leaders attend a banquet to mark the jubilee. Author: Rey Azizi



rs/bw (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

Every evening, DW sends out a selection of the day's news and features. Sign up here.