The German government has summoned the Brunei ambassador to protest at the pending introduction of the death penalty for homosexual acts, the Foreign Office said in Berlin on Tuesday.

“An appeal was made during the discussions with the ambassador for the South-East Asian country to abide by existing human rights obligations.

“We expressed our concerns in connection with the introduction of Sharia law,’’ the Foreign Office said.

The new legal code is to take effect from Wednesday based on the Islamic religious and legal system.

Report says it imposes death by stoning as the most severe punishment for homosexuality, while the previous maximum was 10 years in prison.

France, too, said that it was “very concerned” by the decision to implement the new penal code, arguing that it is contrary to Brunei’s international human rights commitments.

“France calls on Brunei to abandon this plan and to maintain the de facto moratorium on capital punishment it has applied since 1957,’’ the French Foreign Ministry said.

The government of Brunei is yet to react to this development. (dpa/NAN)