[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

April 4



PAKISTAN:

Killer gets death in Faisalabad



The court on Wednesday awarded death sentence to an accused involved in a 
murder case of Samanabad police station.

According to the prosecution, accused Naseemullah along with his brother Asghar 
and sister Sughran Bibi had killed Khalid Hussain, husband of his sister, over 
a domestic dispute in 2014.

After observing evidences and witnesses, Additional District and Sessions Judge 
Imran Javaid Gill awarded the capital punishment to Naseem and ordered for 
paying Rs 200,000 as compensation.

However, the court acquitted Asghar and Sughran Bibi by giving them the benefit 
of doubt.

(source: urdupoint.com)

******************

Killer Gets Death Sentence In Sialkot



The Model Criminal Trial Court on Wednesday decided a murder case and awarded 
death penalty to an accused and life imprisonment to the other.

Additional District and Session Judged Naeem Abbas awarded death sentence to 
Ali Raza and life imprisonment to his father Zulifqar.

The court also ordered for paying Rs 1000,000 as compensation money to heirs of 
the deceased.

According to the prosecution, Ali Raza and his father Zulifqar shot dead Ghualm 
Hiader over a minor dispute in Headmirala police limits.

According to an official of the court, the Model Court has decided the murder 
case in 5 days.

(source: urdupoint.com)








SRI LANKA:

Sri Lanka interviews 47 potential executioners as rights groups slam return of 
death penalty



Sri Lankan authorities have reportedly begun interviewing 47 candidates for 2 
positions as hangmen, even as rights groups slammed the country’s move to bring 
back the death penalty after a decades-long moratorium.

The island nation hasn’t executed a criminal in 43 years, but President 
Maithripala Sirisena revealed last year that hangings would be brought back as 
part of a renewed war on drugs — Sirisena is a noted admirer of Philippine 
President Rodrigo Duterte.

The country began advertising the grim career opportunity in newspapers in 
February. The ad called for applicants with “excellent moral character” and 
“mental strength.”

In March, the state-run Daily News reported that 102 applications had been 
received for the 2 available positions. An American national was among the 
applicants, even though the ad said Sri Lankans only need apply.

Now, AFP reports that the candidates have been whittled down to 47.

But there’s a catch — with no executions having been carried out since 1976, 
the chosen candidates will need to be sent abroad so they can learn the ropes 
from seasoned hangmen, an official told AFP.

Rights groups condemned the imminent restoration of the death penalty, saying 
that executions won’t make a dent in drug-related crime and that they bring the 
risk of innocent people being killed.

“There is no evidence that implementing the death penalty will end drug-related 
crime. Executions are never a solution,” said Biraj Patnaik, South Asia 
director at Amnesty International.

“Indeed, they may result in people being put to death following unfair trials. 
The death penalty is also a punishment that disproportionately affects people 
from less advantaged socio-economic backgrounds.”

Patnaik said that torture and forced confessions are a routine occurrence in 
Sri Lanka’s justice system, meaning there’s a high likelihood that convicts 
will be put to death following unfair trials.

“No criminal justice system is capable of deciding fairly who should live or 
who should die,” he said.

Human Rights Watch said the fact that Sirisena’s push for the death penalty was 
inspired by Duterte’s “murderous” drug war makes it all the more clear that the 
death penalty has no place under international law.

“President Sirisena’s decision to restore the death penalty because he was 
inspired by the Philippines’ murderous ‘drug war’ may be the worst possible 
justification and would violate international law,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, 
South Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

Human Rights Watch noted several studies that found no evidence that the death 
penalty deters criminals, even for crimes like murder.

“The Sri Lankan government should publicly recommit to its moratorium on the 
use of the death penalty with a view to permanently abolishing the practice,” 
Ganguly said.

“Executions, whether imposed by a judge or carried out unlawfully by the 
police, are not the way to address drug offences.”

On Sunday, Sirisena said a date had been set for the death penalty’s comeback, 
although he didn’t reveal the date, The Hindu reported.

Nearly 1,300 people are on death row in Sri Lanka, according to Human Rights 
Watch, although the state-run Daily News put the figure at 400.

The country’s Ministry of Justice has completed “administrative procedures” for 
the execution of 5 drug offenders, the Daily News reported.

(source: globalnews.ca)








INDIA:

HC confirms capital punishment for killing 4-year-old boy in Gujrat



The trial court on April 26 last year had sentenced Padhiyar to death under 
Section 302 of the IPC (murder) and POCSO Act. Every death sentence has to be 
confirmed by the high court. Image Credit: ANI

The Gujarat High Court Wednesday confirmed the death sentence awarded by a 
special POCSO court to a man for sodomising and killing a 4-year-old boy in 
April 2016. A division bench of justices J B Pardiwala and A C Rao confirmed 
the capital punishment awarded to Shambhu Padhiyar by the special court for 
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The trial court on April 26 last year had sentenced Padhiyar to death under 
Section 302 of the IPC (murder) and POCSO Act. Every death sentence has to be 
confirmed by the high court.

The incident had taken place at Piludara village in Jambusar tehsil of Bharuch 
district on April 16, 2016. The victim, son of a labourer, had gone missing 
that day and his naked body was found in bushes.

The police arrested Padhiyar, a resident of the same village. He confessed that 
he had abducted the boy from near his house.

(source: devdiscourse.com)



UNITED ARAB EMIRATES:

Man in UAE gets death penalty for killing cousin over Dh400----He buried the 
body in the sand to cover up the murder.



A farm worker, who killed his cousin because the victim demanded that he pay 
back the Dh400 he owed, has been sentenced to death.

The Abu Dhabi Cassation Court upheld the rulings of the lower courts that found 
the Asian man guilty of premeditated murder.

Court documents showed that the man had a heated argument with his cousin over 
a Dh400 debt. The victim, who worked in another farm in the neighbourhood, was 
asking him to pay the money back. Both men worked as shepherds in a farm in Abu 
Dhabi.

Later that evening, the defendant went to the victim's room with an axe and 
another hard object.

"The man used the tools to hit his cousin on the head and in the neck several 
times, which caused his death," said prosecutors.

After carrying out the attack, the defendant removed the victim's clothes, tied 
a rope around his leg, and dragged the body to the side of his boss' farm, 
where he dug a shallow hole and buried him.

Besides burying his cousin's body in the sand to cover up the murder, he stole 
the victim's phone and hid it in his room, according to police investigations.

Upon noticing that the victim was missing, his boss asked the other workers to 
look for him. One of them smelled a stench and discovered the body that was 
buried in the nearby farm.

The man admitted to both the police and the prosecutors that he did carry out 
the murder. Both the Criminal Court of First Instance and the Appeal Court 
sentenced him to death, after the victim's family refused to pardon him in 
exchange for blood money.

The man challenged the sentence in Abu Dhabi's top court, but the earlier 
rulings have been maintained.

A death sentence is executed only after the approval of the UAE President.

(source: khaleejtimes.com)








SAUDI ARABIA----execution of female foreign national

Lawyers Without Borders Condemn Execution Of Nigerian Woman By Saudi Arabia



Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF France) has condemned the execution of a 
Nigerian woman by the Saudi government for drug-related offences.

The Nigerian woman was executed alongside 2 Pakistanis and a Yemeni.

The organisation urged Saudi Arabia to “repeal death penalty from its statutes 
handbook”, especially for drug-related offences, as they do not constitute 
“most serious offences”.

ASF also called on the Nigerian government to ensure quality legal 
representation for other Nigerians facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia.

A statement issued on Wednesday by Angela Uwandu, Head of Office, Avocats Sans 
Frontières France (Lawyers Without Borders France), read: “ASF France urges the 
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to refrain from further executions of foreign 
nationals. It recalls that drug-related offences do not fall within the ambits 
of the ‘most serious offences’ under international law and urges the Saudi 
government to repeal the death penalty from its statutes book and especially 
for drug related offences.

“It also urges the Nigerian government and mission in Saudi to ensure full 
adherence and respect of the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Consular 
Relations for the about 20 Nigerians facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia. 
This is to ensure these Nigerians receive effective legal representation and 
fair trials accorded them.

“ASF France also uses this opportunity to call on the Nigerian government to 
review its own laws prescribing the death penalty if other countries like Saudi 
Arabia are to take seriously the call of the Nigerian government to refrain 
from executing its nationals.”

(source: saharareporters.com)








BRUNEI:

Travellers heading to Brunei could face death penalty now applying to blasphemy 
and gay sex



Amid global condemnation, the severe penalties came into effect on Wednesday 
and apply to Muslims, non-Muslims and foreigners even when not in the country 
but travelling on Brunei registered aircraft or vessels.

Before the new legal regime commenced, homosexuality was illegal and punishable 
by up to 10 years of imprisonment, but under the changes Brunei has become the 
first Asian country to make homosexuality punishable by death.

Public flogging has been brought in as a punishment for abortion and amputation 
for theft, the United Nations said.

'Exercise normal safety precautions in Brunei'

The Australian Government has condemned the laws described by the UN as "cruel 
and inhuman" and Foreign Minister Marise Payne said she had raised concerns 
directly with her counterpart in Brunei.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) advises Australians to 
"exercise normal safety precautions in Brunei".

"Under this code some offences can attract physical punishment while others 
attract executions," the DFAT travel advice summary said.

Same-sex marriage is legal in Australia after a hard-fought campaign and a 
voluntary national postal survey. But elsewhere in the world gay people can 
struggle to simply stay out of jail.

"Offences that attract the death penalty include blasphemy, sodomy, adultery, 
rape and murder."

A DFAT spokesman said it had updated its travel advice and took safety concerns 
of all travellers "very seriously".

On a standalone page for LGBTI travellers there is information specific to 
individual countries, including Brunei the spokesman said.

The Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby (VGLRL) has called on Deputy Prime 
Minister and Transport Minister Michael McCormack to ban Royal Brunei Airlines 
from landing in Australia.

"Brunei [is] the only country with laws that allow for the execution of LGBT 
people to have landing rights in Australia," the group said in a statement.

The VGLRL has also said the travel warning does not go far enough to protect 
the rights and lives of LGBT Australians.

They are particularly concerned "that the penal code applies to all those who 
board a Brunei-registered aircraft even when in Australia".

"This new penal code represents a serious and grave violation to the safety of 
LGBTQI Australians," VGLRL co-convener Dale Park said.

"We need swift and strong action from the Government."

Brunei defends laws amid boycott and petition

An online petition to ban Royal Brunei Airlines from Australia has gathered 
14,000 signatures.

The move by the oil-rich sultanate has also been met with calls for boycotts of 
luxury hotels owned by Brunei.

Oscar-winning actor George Clooney has lead the most recent Hollywood protest 
and said "every single time we stay at or take meetings at or dine at any of 
these nine hotels we are putting money directly into the pockets of men who 
choose to stone and whip to death their own citizens for being gay or accused 
of adultery".

The Brunei Investment Company owns 9 luxury hotels in the United States and 
Europe, including the Beverly Hills Hotel, The Dorchester in London, and the 
Plaza Athenee in Paris.

Brunei's Government has defended the laws and said the Sharia penal code "aims 
to educate, respect and protect the legitimate rights of all individuals, 
society or nationality of any faiths and race".

Brunei was the first East Asian country to introduce Islamic criminal law in 
2014 when it announced the first of three stages of legal changes that included 
fines or jail for offences such as pregnancy outside marriage or failing to 
pray on Friday.

That move lead to a similar boycott from celebrities Ellen DeGeneres and Jay 
Leno and British entrepreneur Richard Branson.

In 2015, Christmas celebrations were banned and religious followers were warned 
the prohibition would be strictly enforced.

Homosexuality is punishable by execution in several Muslim-majority countries, 
including death by stoning in Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Mauritania.

(source: abc.net.au)

*******************

Brunei Joins 9 Other Countries In Adopting Death Penalty For Homosexuality



While many western and other developed nations have adopted same-sex marriage 
legislation, there are some countries around the world that have yet to even 
legalize homosexual relationships. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, 
last week, the small southeast Asian nation of Brunei recently passed a rather 
violent law, which went into full effect earlier today, as noted by NPR.

Those who are caught having gay sex will be subjected to death, which will be 
administered by public stoning. Brunei, which has an estimated population of 
approximately 420,000, is 2/3 Muslim, and Islam is the official religion of the 
nation. As a result, a handful of laws have recently been enacted, which 
conform to the more conservative principles of the religion. While the new 
measures have sparked controversy and condemnation around the globe, the 
current Sultan of Brunei expressed his approval, per a report by the BBC.

“I want to see Islamic teachings in this country grow stronger,” Sultan 
Hassanal Bolkiah told Brunei citizens in a public address.

The country has made a few other changes to its penal code. Any offenses of 
rape, sodomy, adultery, or robbery, and the “insult or defamation of the 
Prophet Muhammad” also carry the death penalty. While the punishment for gay 
sex is public stoning, lesbian sex carries a (relatively) lighter penalty of 40 
lashes (caning) and/or up to 10 years in jail. Those who are caught stealing 
may have their limbs amputated, and attempting to persuade Muslim children 
under the age of 18 to follow another religion can carry a fine or jail time.

While Brunei’s laws against gay sex have come under fire, it’s worth noting 
that they aren’t the only country that enforces a death penalty for homosexual 
relations. As noted by The Washington Post, there are 9 other nations around 
the world that carry similar punishments.

Afghanistan: While the country’s penal code doesn’t explicitly mention 
homosexual acts, Article 130 of Afghanistan’s Constitution does allow for 
“recourse to be made to sharia law, which prohibits same-sex sexual activity in 
general.” That being said, there have been no recorded cases of anyone being 
killed for having gay sex since the early 2000s.

Iran: Per sharia law, gay sex between men is punishable by death.

Mauritania: Despite official laws, there has been a moratorium on capital 
punishment for decades.

Nigeria: Several states within Nigeria have imposed a death penalty for gay 
sex.

Qatar: The law in Qatar applies only to those practicing Islam.

Saudi Arabia: Married men who commit sodomy, or a non-Muslim engaging in sodomy 
with someone who practices Islam, can be stoned to death.

Somalia: Similar to Nigeria, some states have adopted sharia law — and by 
extension, a death penalty for gay sex.

Sudan: Those are convicted three times for sodomy can be put to death.

Yemen: For the last 25 years, married men who engage in gay sex can be stoned 
to death.

It’s worth mentioning that while The Washington Post lists the United Arab 
Emirates as a country that carries the death penalty for gay sex, it seems that 
legal experts within the country have not been able to come to a definitive 
conclusion.

“Lawyers in the country and other experts disagree on whether federal law 
prescribes the death penalty for consensual homosexual sex or only for rape,” 
The Washington Post notes. “In a recent Amnesty International report, the 
organization said it was not aware of any death sentences for homosexual acts. 
All sexual acts outside of marriage are banned.”

(source: inquisitr.com)

******************

Calls to ban Royal Brunei Airlines from right to land in Australia----Jacinda 
Ardern says New Zealand is opposed to Brunei punishing gay sex with death

The sultan of Brunei has implemented Islamic criminal laws to punish gay sex by 
stoning offenders to death.

The Australian federal government is being urged to revoke Royal Brunei 
Airlines' right to land in Australia after the Asian nation introduced the 
death penalty for homosexual acts and adultery.

The Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby has called on Canberra to ensure the 
safety of Australians is protected.

Meanwhile, Virgin Australia on Wednesday confirmed it had severed its staff 
travel deal with the sultanate's national carrier over the new anti-gay laws.

Full sharia law, based on the Islamic religious and legal system, took effect 
in Brunei on Wednesday.

It applies to Muslims, non-Muslims and foreigners even when on 
Brunei-registered aircraft and vessels.

The Australian department of foreign affairs website advises would-be tourists 
of the new code, warning some offences may result in a penalty of execution.

Experts, however, are doubtful that executions will actually be carried out.

The Victorian lobby group believes the travel warning does not go far enough to 
protect the rights of LGBTIQ Australians.

"The penal code applies to all those who board a Brunei-registered aircraft 
even when in Australia," the VGLRL said.

"(It) will allow for inhumane and cruel punishments for queer people, such as 
death by stoning for consensual acts between same-sex adults."

The group also called on the only Australian airport with regular Royal Brunei 
flights - Melbourne Airport - to no longer accept flights from the carrier and 
for travel agents such as Flight Centre and STA Travel to immediately stop 
selling their flights.

Virgin Australia's move to immediately terminate the staff travel deal was 
announced to staff via email, which said the decision was made given the "harsh 
(including death) penalties being introduced for activity that is legal and 
acceptable in Australia".

A Virgin spokeswoman said a separate interline ticketing agreement that allows 
Royal Brunei to sell seats on Virgin flights had not been changed.

Virgin doesn't sell seats on the Brunei airline.

The revision of Brunei's penal code expands the crimes that can be punished by 
death to include rape, extramarital sex for Muslims, robbery, and insulting the 
Muslim prophet Mohammed.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Australia has raised concerns with the 
Brunei government over the new penal code.

"We absolutely oppose the death penalty and are committed to the rights of 
LGBTI people. We will continue to advocate for human rights in the region and 
beyond," she tweeted.

In a later statement, she added it was a matter for individual travellers to 
pick which airline they use.

Melbourne Airport chief executive Lyell Strambi said he found the new laws 
"extremely confronting" but says aviation access rights are a matter for the 
federal government and the airport would follow its response.

Travel agency Flight Centre said the company "vehemently opposes" the 
application of Sharia law in Brunei.

Royal Brunei used to fly to Auckland but discontinued the route in 2011.

(source: stuff.co.nz)

*********************

U.S. Islamic scholar, a Harvard alum, praises Brunei’s death penalty for 
homosexuals



Brunei did the right thing when it amended its Sharia penal code to include the 
death penalty for “rectum-sex enthusiasts,” an American scholar of Islam said.

“If you have had a rough week or are feeling down in the dumps, I have just the 
news to cheer you up. The Muslim country of Brunei is implementing hudud to 
crack down on sodomites and fornicators!” Daniel Haqiqatjou wrote on his 
website MuslimSkeptic. In Islam, hudud is “punishment mandated by God.”

Brunei on April 3 instituted updates to its Sharia penal code which make 
homosexual sex and adultery punishable by stoning to death.

Haqiqatjou, who was born in Houston, Texas and is a Harvard alumnus, added that 
“The Sharia protects all of our rights, individually and communally. When 
rectum-sex enthusiasts are allowed to promote their gender-bending degeneracy 
openly, that deeply harms all of us.”

Haqiqatjou is also founder of the Alasna Institute, which, according to its 
website, “educates Muslims on how to address doubts and how to gain real 
intellectual confidence and conviction in Islam.” Alasna Institute has been 
featured in articles by CNN, The Washington Post, Al Jazeera and The Atlantic.

In his post on MuslimSkeptic, Haqiqatjou urged other Muslim countries to follow 
Brunei’s lead on Sharia law. He also mocked politicians and celebrities such as 
George Clooney who are proposing boycotts of Brunei-owned hotels and 
businesses.

“By the way, how silly that these Western politicians and celebrities can’t 
stand it that a Muslim country implements the Sharia,” Haqiqatjou wrote. “They 
are frothing with anger. Isn’t it great?”

Haqiqatjou also suggested that Muslims from western nations visit Brunei and 
consider attending public canings so that they could learn what is, in his 
view, the proper way to implement Sharia.

“I think Muslims need to counteract any boycott by making Brunei their next 
vacation destination spot,” Haqiqatjou wrote. “Maybe some of these expensive 
spiritual tourism tours led by shuyukh can make Brunei the next go-to site, 
maybe attend a caning or two so Western Muslims can experience first hand what 
implementing hudud actually means. Just a thought.”

(source: World Tribune)

************************

Brunei must immediately halt plans to introduce stonings and other vicious 
punishments



Responding to the news that Brunei Darussalam has today finalised the 
implementation of a new Shariah Penal Code that introduces cruel punishments 
such as death by stoning for same-sex sexual acts and amputation for robbery, 
Stephen Cockburn, Deputy Director of Global Issues at Amnesty International, 
said:

“We are extremely concerned that these heinous punishments have become law in 
Brunei today.

“This new penal code allows punishments such as amputation or death by stoning 
which are unspeakably cruel and have no place anywhere in the world.

“We are alarmed that the code criminalizes behaviour that should not be 
considered crimes at all. The international community must continue to condemn 
Brunei’s decision to put these cruel penalties into practice.

“The Brunei authorities must refrain from implementing these laws, and must 
take necessary steps to repeal this unacceptable legislation and bring it in 
line with international human rights laws and standards.”

These punishments are provided for in newly-implemented sections of Brunei’s 
Sharia Penal Code that will come into force today.

Background

Brunei Darussalam has signed but not yet ratified the Convention against 
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and has 
rejected all recommendations to this effect in its human rights review at the 
UN in 2014.

Under international human rights law, corporal punishment in all its forms, 
such as stoning, amputation or whipping, constitutes torture or other cruel, 
inhuman or degrading punishment, which is prohibited in all circumstances.

While Brunei retains the death penalty in law, it is abolitionist in practice. 
One new death sentence was imposed in 2017, for a drug related offence.

Brunei’s Shariah Penal Code (SPC) does not replace civil law but is expected to 
operate alongside it – from information available, each case requires an 
initial decision to determine whether it should be prosecuted under civil law, 
or Shariah law.

(source: Amnesty International)

**************************

LIFE AND DEATH---- This Is What It’s Like to Be Gay in Brunei, Where LGBT 
People Can Now Get Stoned to Death----Wednesday, despite world outrage, Brunei 
legalizes the stoning to death of LGBT people. A gay asylum seeker from the 
country describes a scared LGBT population ‘going underground.’



Shahiransheriffuddin bin Shahrani Muhammad, a gay asylum seeker from Brunei now 
living in Vancouver, has been talking to friends in Brunei about the law to 
stone gays to death, which comes into effect Wednesday, April 3.

“Shah” (as his friends know him) told The Daily Beast his gay friends were 
nervous, afraid, and becoming more and more isolated as the impact of the new 
law hits home. He wanted to use his full name, he said. It makes him feel safer 
to be open.

The law in the Southeast Asian country, ruled by the Sultan of Brunei as an 
absolute monarchy, will impose death by stoning or whipping for sodomy, 
adultery or rape, and amputation of a hand or foot for theft.

Following international outrage, the Brunei Prime Minister’s office claimed in 
an unapologetic, doubling-down statement that the new anti-gay stoning law was 
intended “to educate, respect and protect the legitimate rights of all 
individuals, society or nationality of any faiths and race.”

George Clooney and Elton John have called for boycotts of the Sultan’s 
international hotels, while—after nearly 24 hours of ignoring Daily Beast 
requests for comment last week—the U.S. State Department told us exclusively 
that the Trump administration was “concerned” about the new stoning law, but 
would not condemn Brunei for introducing it.

Britain, the European Union, and the U.N. have all condemned the law.

For gay people in the country, the practical implications of the new law are 
sinking in. In a country where homosexuality is illegal, LGBT people are 
already cautious and private; this new law, said Shah, has made them even more 
fearfully so.

“I think we all think the same thing: the burden of proof is high,” said Shah. 
“4 people have to have seen you have gay sex. Imagine that, unless it’s an 
orgy, and you all testify against each other. People make jokes like that, but 
there is nothing to laugh at.”

“People are becoming paranoid,” said Shah. “They are nervous about talking to 
each other. Things will go underground.” And this in a country already without 
LGBT meeting places or groups. Gay men meet each other using social networking 
apps.

A Facebook post Shah wrote critical of the government’s then-new guidelines 
about halal certification led to Shah being charged with sedition in 2017. 
“People wouldn’t talk to me, friends wouldn’t talk to me. Eventually, I took an 
illegal taxi across the border into Malaysia. I made sure no one was following 
me,” he said. He arrived in Canada in September 2018.

Shah reminds his friends that even if a burden of proof isn’t reached, 
homosexuality is still illegal in Brunei and gays can still be thrown in jail 
for up to 10 years or face a sizable fine. “Or all of that all at once. Then 
there’s the shame and guilt of it all, you will be constantly reminded of it by 
your family.” “Another friend has had a partner of 10 years. They just decided 
not to see each other so much. They are afraid of being discovered. And they 
have been together for 10 years! This is what this law does; it makes gay 
people paranoid, nervous, mistrustful.”

“My best friend and I spoke,” Shah said. “He told me, he and other LGBT people 
are stopping talking to each other, because they are worried about people 
finding out about them. Another friend has had a partner of 10 years. They just 
decided not to see each other so much. They are afraid of being discovered. And 
they have been together for 10 years! This is what this law does; it makes gay 
people paranoid, nervous, mistrustful. A lot of gay people will try and isolate 
themselves from other people to be completely safe,” said Shah. “I’m not sure 
how long it will go on for. A lot of people will see psychiatrists and 
psychologists.”

Shah’s friends hope they won’t fall foul of the new law or be affected by it, 
but Shah has reminded them it has happened to him. He cannot live in his 
homeland, he is estranged from his family. He has had to start a new life. A 
40-year-old out-gay critic of the Sultan of Brunei’s regime, he fears for his 
life if he is made to return to the country, especially given the new law.

“LGBT+ people in Brunei don't often talk openly about things like this and this 
is no exception,” said Matthew Woolfe, founder of human rights group The Brunei 
Project. “For the most part, they tend to try to lay low and get through it. 
>From those LGBT+ with whom I have connected with, there is a real fear about 
these laws and what is going to happen to them. I know of one person who is 
considering leaving the country and am aware of another who has already done so 
out of fear about what the future holds.”

There is little chance of persuading the government of Brunei to reverse its 
decision.

“The commencement order (for the new law) is an official government order that 
was posted on the website of the Attorney General's Chambers so there is every 
reason to believe that the Government is serious about implementing these final 
phases (of the Syariah Penal Code),” Woolfe told The Daily Beast.

“After years of repeatedly delaying implementation, this was the first time the 
Government gave an actual date for the laws to come into effect. To now not 
proceed with implementation after committing to a date would undermine the 
Government’s credibility.”

“What we want to see most of all is diplomatic pressure placed on Brunei,” said 
Woolfe. “I think that is the best chance we have of seeing these laws revoked 
so I encourage people to lobby their governments to take action. Governments 
should be taking every opportunity to place whatever pressure they can on 
Brunei to revoke these laws. They need to stop being so passive in their 
approach and really apply pressure. They need to make these violators of human 
rights believe that it is in their best interests to stop the violations.”

“I think that it is very unlikely that the laws being introduced will be 
reversed or revoked once implemented,” said Woolfe. “I think that all we can 
hope for at best is that they are never carried out and there is a good chance 
that they won't be.”

On Tuesday, when asked by The Daily Beast, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and 
the State Department again would not directly condemn the new law.

On Tuesday evening, Robert Palladino, the department's deputy spokesperson, 
reissued statements already sent to The Daily Beast last Friday.

“Brunei’s decision to implement Phases Two and Three of the Sharia Penal Code 
and associated penalties runs counter to its international human rights 
obligations, including with respect to torture or other cruel, inhuman or 
degrading treatment or punishment.

“All governments have an obligation to ensure that all people can freely enjoy 
the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms to which they are entitled. 
The United States strongly opposes violence, criminalization and discrimination 
targeting vulnerable groups, including women at risk of violence, religious and 
ethnic minorities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) 
persons.

“We continue to encourage Brunei to ratify and implement the United Nations 
Convention Against Torture, which it signed in 2015, and to sign, ratify, and 
implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

As well as declining to condemn Brunei, the State Department did not respond to 
questions from The Daily Beast on the existence or nature of any discussions 
Secretary of State Pompeo or officials had had with the Brunei government about 
the new law.

Shah was born and bought up in Brunei, though he attended boarding school in 
Britain. He spent 11 years in the U.K. from 17 to 28, where he lived a more 
open gay life and had boyfriends, then returned to Brunei and worked in health 
promotion. It “became more and more frustrating” from going from living an out 
life to a closeted one.

“Brunei is a very conservative country, in politics, religion and social 
views,” said Woolfe. “It is very hard for people to truly express themselves 
and this goes for not only LGBT+ but everyone really. It is harder for LGBT+ 
though because they are expected to conform to certain ideas and views about 
how they should act, look and live their lives.

“There are also no community-focused services available within the country that 
can provide LGBT+ people with information and support, so LGBT+ often have to 
rely on their own private networks for that support and if they don't have a 
strong network of people they can trust, it can be very lonely.

“Plus, there is also the fact that homosexual acts have a long history of 
criminalization in Brunei, which extends back to the time of British colonial 
rule, and this helps add to the stigma surrounding LGBT+.”

“I think LGBT people, LGBT Muslims, are a test of the established religion. I 
was born this way, what are they going to do about that? They condemn us, but 
God made us this way. By criminalizing us, killing us, they are failing God’s 
test, they are saying that God is wrong.”

Shah’s Muslim faith continues to mean a lot to him. He grew up knowing that 
being LGBT was wrong in his religion. “But this is my faith. I still pray five 
times a day, observe Ramadan. My faith is very strong. I still consider myself 
a Muslim. I think LGBT people, LGBT Muslims, are a test of the established 
religion. I was born this way, what are they going to do about that? They 
condemn us, but God made us this way. By criminalizing us, killing us, they are 
failing God’s test, they are saying that God is wrong.”

Asked what being gay in Brunei was like, Shah said, “Quiet. It’s easy enough to 
find people if you have the app. And the app is a great metaphor to describe 
the LGBT community in Brunei: you won’t see any face on it unless it is a 
foreigner’s. Even when you meet someone either one of you can be so nervous 
identifying the other in public that you sometimes don’t meet. That’s how 
careful people are. You don’t give real names, or where you work. People hide, 
and it puts great strain on your relationships if you fall in love.”

Shah fell in love with only one Bruneian man. They were together for 5 years, 
but eventually the boyfriend’s family told him that he shouldn’t see Shah any 
more. They were worried that their neighbors had noticed Shah coming to visit 
too much. “We tried to keep on going, but it got too difficult. We had normal 
relationship issues, and all of the other stuff of being gay in Brunei on top 
of that. It was too much.”

A Brunei-based psychiatrist he saw had been helpful and positive. Some, he 
said, tell LGBT clients “to act straight so they can fly under the radar. They 
are not saying being gay is wrong—I have never heard any psychiatrist say 
that—but in this country it is more advice to be safe. Growing up, I tried to 
be ‘straight acting.’ Those who acted ‘gay' were seen as gay or trans. 
Bruneians don’t make any difference between the 2. It’s so screwed up, and 
those people who are trans have the worst of the hassle and bad attitudes 
because they are the most visible.”

As a boy, Shah had been attracted to other boys, but “never admitted” it to 
himself. “I had girlfriends, but preferred looking at their ex-boyfriends,” he 
said. “Boarding school in England was as homophobic as Brunei sometimes.” He 
came out in the U.K. at university.

His mother would “throw suspicions” in his face about the friends he bought 
home to play games with—“but mostly they were straight and we were playing 
World of Warcraft.”

His sister would never stop matchmaking. His Chinese father would try to pair 
him with “nice Chinese girls.” To escape, Shah would go to gay bars in “KK,” 
Kota Kinabalu, in Malaysia.

“None of my family accept the fact I am gay. When I came out to my sister over 
the phone from here, I said, ‘You do know I’m gay.’ She said for the millionth 
time that she hoped I would find ‘the right girl.’ In her own way she’s trying 
to understand.”

He came out by text to his parents. “I told them because I’m being open, and 
telling the media about what it is like to be gay in Brunei. That’s why my 
family isn’t talking to me. I love them very much, and in a way I’m glad 
they’re not talking to me. I didn’t feel safe, but I have felt more safe naming 
myself and sharing my story. I want people to know that I am here, who I am, 
and what my story is.

“I fear for my life if I ever go back. I have never encountered anyone like me 
before: somebody openly gay from Brunei. I know I’ve pissed off the 
authorities.”

“In Brunei I am seen as a traitor, so this way my family can claim no knowledge 
of me and be safe from the authorities. Distant family members keep an eye on 
them for me. I like to think we can repair our relationship in time.”

He doesn’t know when he will see his family again. “I fear for my life if I 
ever go back. I have never encountered anyone like me before: somebody openly 
gay from Brunei. I know I’ve pissed off the authorities. People who work in the 
civil service have told me to be careful if I go back. They won’t let what I’ve 
said go. I don’t think they’d execute me straight off. There would be a show 
trial.”

As well as the authorities, Shah is also nervous about the possibility of mob 
violence against LGBT people in Brunei. He is also concerned with the new 
Sharia laws affect women. A female friend has a non-Muslim male partner, who he 
is concerned for—"anyone who in their private lives goes against what the law 
says.”

Clooney and John’s hotel boycott would have no material effect, he said, but 
was still a useful international awareness-raising exercise. “There is also the 
Asian concept of ‘having face’ and trying to preserve that—and Bruneians being 
aware of the detrimental way the world sees them.”

Even if the anti-LGBT laws were changed, Shah said, “the culture would have to 
change too. It would take a lot, a revolution in political and public attitudes 
to make Bruneians OK with people being LGBT.”

“If you cannot get out, I would say to go to see a psychiatrist or psychologist 
who can help you find the healthiest way to survive this, and feel OK about 
yourself.”

In Vancouver, Shah is planning on getting a work permit and then a job, maybe 
in health promotion as he was in Brunei, or do something to ‘give back to the 
community,’ like volunteering. And “find somebody to settle down to live with.”

Vancouver is a big city, Shah said, but has quite a small gay scene. “I was out 
shopping and saw two men holding hands. First, I thought, ‘Why can’t I have 
that? When can I have that?’ And then I thought, ‘There aren’t so many gay bars 
here because people literally don’t need them.’”

To LGBT people in Brunei, Shah says, “Stay safe, try to get out.”

“I have no hope really,” he added. “If you cannot get out, I would say to go to 
see a psychiatrist or psychologist who can help you find the healthiest way to 
survive this, and feel OK about yourself. Help strengthen your mental 
defenses—anything to get through it.”

(source: thedailybeast.com)

***************************

LA officials call for boycott of Brunei-owned hotels



Officials and LGBTQ leaders in California joined Tuesday a growing chorus of 
people calling for a boycott of Brunei-owned hotels in the Los Angeles area.

The call to boycott the fabled Beverly Hills Hotel, once the playground of 
Hollywood celebrities, and Hotel Bel-Air came after the sultanate announced 
plans to implement the death penalty for gay sex and adultery.

"As a citywide elected official, I represent a diverse community of Angelenos, 
and I call on everyone to boycott the hotels owned by Brunei's royal family," 
LA Controller Ron Galperin said in a statement.

"I will not set foot in these establishments so long as they are owned and 
controlled by a regime that is willing to kill LGBTQ people.

"While I feel bad for the many hard-working employees of these local hotels, no 
one should support or attend any events there while lives are on the line."

Los Angeles Council member Paul Koretz said people should shun both hotels even 
"if that means marring their reputation and fabled history."

"The city of Los Angeles and the United States and world should place severe 
sanctions on Brunei for taking LGBTQ rights back to the Stone Age," said Karina 
Samala, chair of the Transgender Advisory Council.

"We are all human beings with a right to live in freedom."

British pop legend Elton John and American actor George Clooney have also 
called for a boycott of the hotels and other properties owned by the sultanate 
in Britain, France and Italy.

The new Islamic penal code, or Sharia law, which is to come into force in the 
tiny southeast Asian sultanate on Wednesday, has already drawn fierce criticism 
from rights groups and the United Nations.

Brunei first announced the measures in 2013, but implementation has been 
delayed, in the face of opposition by rights groups, and as officials worked 
out the practical details.

The new law stipulates the death penalty for a number of offences, including 
rape, adultery, sodomy, robbery and insulting or defaming the Prophet Mohammed.

It also introduces public flogging as punishment for abortion, as well as 
amputation for theft, and criminalizes exposing Muslim children to the beliefs 
and practices of any religion besides Islam.

Since the new penal code was first announced in 2013, the who's who of 
Hollywood have shunned the celebrated Beverly Hills Hotel painted in pink and 
green and once a favorite of celebrities like Audrey Hepburn, Frank Sinatra and 
Elizabeth Taylor and The Beatles.

Local news reports say the hotel has lost millions of dollars in business as a 
result of the long-running unofficial boycott.

(source: Agence France-Presse)



ENGLAND:

Protests to take place outside Sultan of Brunei’s Dorchester Hotel----A 
demonstration is due to take place outside The Dorchester Hotel in London in 
protest to the death penalty for gay sex in Brunei.



A demonstration is to take place outside the Sultan of Brunei owned Dorchester 
Hotel in London this Saturday, 6th April 2019. The protest comes as Brunei 
enacts a law which will see men who have sex with other men face the death 
penalty by stoning.

The demonstration has been created by Benali Hamdache, a Green Party candidate 
for the London Assembly.

Explaining why the demonstrating was going ahead on the official Facebook page, 
Hamdache wrote, “Brunei has announced that gay sex and adultery will be 
punishable by death. The Sultan of Brunei is one of the richest men in the 
world and is personally responsible for this hideous law.

“He is also the owner of The Dorchester Hotel. Join our demonstration to make 
it clear that everyone should be boycotting his hotels”.

The punishment of stoning to death, which has its basis in sharia law will 
target Muslim LGBT+ people in the region. The law will so see death penalties 
for those who commit adultery and rape. Those who are caught stealing will have 
their hands amputated. There will be fines or other punishments for those who 
miss prayers on a Friday.

The demonstration will take place outside the Dorchester hotel in London from 2 
PM until 4 PM.

(source: thegayuk.com)








NIGERIA:

JNI advocates death penalty for drug dealers



The leadership of Jamaa’tu Nasril Islam (JNI) on Wednesday advocated the death 
penalty for drug dealers as one of the means by which the menace of drug and 
substance abuse could be checked in Nigeria.

This was even as the leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in 
Kaduna State suggested full enforcement of existing laws on drugs which, it 
believes, would in turn apply strict penalty on offenders.

The two religious bodies made these statements in their separate meetings with 
members of Presidential Advisory Committee on Elimination of Drug Abuse 
(PACEDA) led by Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (retd), who were in Kaduna as part 
of their nationwide consultations on elimination of drug abuse.

Speaking at the headquarters of JNI in Kaduna, the Secretary-General of JNI, 
Sheikh Dr Abubakar Khalid, said the time had come for the generalty of 
Nigerians to address the menace of drug abuse squarely as it is done in places 
like Europe and Middle East.

“I think the matter has gone so terrible and dangerous to the extent that all 
measures taken defiled solution. Until a very decisive deterrent variable is 
taken as done elsewhere, we may not be able to tackle it.

“In Europe, in Asia, in the Middle East, when the menace reach this level, it 
is death penalty or a very draconian legal action with serious imprisonment and 
not the way we are toying with it like a toy or joke in this country. Those 
that concern should look into this,” he said.

Secretary, CAN, KADUNA State, Reverend Dr Sunday Ibrahim, lamented the weak 
enforcement of existing laws on drug use and drug abuse by implementers 
especially the Nigerian Police and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency 
(NDLEA), who intercept, arrest drug pushers only to be released back into the 
society within a few hours after the arrest.

“With this committee and the calibre of people in it, it means we are very 
serious as country about this matter. We have seen situations where these 
people were intercepted but were later freed without trial and then become 
threat to people around them.

“We have so many laws but we are not strict in enforcing these laws. From our 
pupits, we have been teaching and preaching against drug abuse, telling our 
members its implications and we will continue to do that.

“We have over 2,000 churches under CAN in Kaduna with each has many churches 
under them. After this meeting, we are going to organise a workshop to further 
engage them on this, issue. We are worried about the whole thing because these 
people are either going to church or mosque,” he added.

(source: sunnewsonline.com)

***************

Presidency Appeals to Saudi for Leniency over 20 Nigerians on death row



The federal government has expressed concern over the number of Nigerians 
awaiting execution in Saudi Arabia and those already executed over drug related 
offence and appealed to the Kingdom for leniency.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, 
Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who briefed State House correspondents yesterday at 
the Presidential Villa, Abuja, appealed for leniency on Nigerians still on 
death row in the country.

A Nigerian woman alongside 2 Pakistani men and a Yemeni man were executed on 
Monday for drug trafficking, bringing to 53 the number of people put to death 
in 2019 in the country.

Dabiri-Erewa said so far, 8 Nigerians have been executed while 20 are on death 
row in Saudi Arabia.

She described the news of recent execution of a Nigerian woman in that country 
for drug-related offences as pathetic, tragic and sad.

“We know that drug issues in Saudi Arabia attract death penalty; that will be 
the 8th Nigerian to be executed for drug in Saudi in the last few years and we 
have about 20 on death row for drug in that country and about 12 that have been 
sentenced to various jail terms.

“The issue with drug in Saudi is this – there are cases of syndicates who work 
with airlines who actually put these drugs in the bags of unsuspecting 
pilgrims.

“But we have had cases where truly they did commit the offence; so, we are 
appealing to the Saudi authorities to make the trial fair, open and ensure that 
justice is done; even if you are going to die, you die for an offence you have 
committed.

“I appeal to Nigerians, especially those going to Saudi with stuff; obey the 
laws of the land; even kola nut is treated as drug; so we continue to appeal to 
the Saudi authorities to treat some of the cases with some form of leniency,’’ 
she said.

The special assistant said that while Nigerians are expected to be law-abiding, 
the Saudi authorities should ensure that justice truly is done before somebody 
is sentenced to death.

According to her, the federal government will ensure proper intervention on 
behalf of Nigerians to ensure that justice must be done.

She advised Nigerians going to Saudi Arabia on Ethiopian or Egyptian airlines 
to identify their luggage as there have many cases when passengers were 
accosted on the claim that a banned substance was found on their luggage.

According to her, it is now mandatory to do baggage identification before 
boarding the aircraft.

She said the case of Saudi is particularly worrisome because some of the 
suspects really did not commit the crime.

“One Nigerian was freed not too long ago with the intervention of our mission 
in Jeddah; it turned out that he actually did not carry the drug and he was 
freed.

“One again has a court case and the embassy is intervening on his behalf and 
hopefully he too will be freed.

“The embassy is monitoring the trial; however, Saudi is a bit of a difficult 
place; they are not allowed to go to the prison and see them; they were allowed 
once.

“So, the embassy is continuously requesting to at least go to the prison and 
see Nigerians on the death row and those that have been sentenced for various 
offence,” she said.

She added: So, we need to engage more with Saudi authorities and ensure that we 
do whatever we can for these citizens of Nigeria. While we condemn drug 
trafficking in any ramification, let’s ensure we get justice for everyone of 
them."

Dabiri-Erewa said the 2nd case is that of Nigerians who allegedly raided a 
Bureau de Change in Dubai and were apprehend after CCTV review.

She said their action is disgraceful and an embarrassment to the country; to 
themselves and their families.

The presidential aide listed the names of the suspects as Chimuanya Ozoh, 
Benjamin Ajah, Kingsley Ngoka, Tochukwu Alisi and Chile Ndunagu.

On frequent killing of Nigerians in South Africa, she attributed the problem to 
xenophobic attacks, drug-related crimes, and cultism, among others.

She said different levels of actions and interventions have been taken to stop 
the killings, adding Nigerians in South Africa should also stop killing one 
another.

Dabiri-Erewa appealed to Nigerians to continue to be good ambassadors of the 
country wherever they found themselves.

(source: This Day)








YEMEN:

Houthis refuse appeal to free Baha'i leader from death sentence----Over 100 
Baha’is, including 6 prominent members, held by the rebels have been tried on 
charges the minority says are false.



Yemen’s Houthi rebels have refused to rule on an appeal against a prominent 
Baha’i leader who has been sentenced to death.

Hamed Bin Haydara, has been in Houthi detention since 2013, and is charged with 
espionage and apostasy.

A hearing was held for Mr Haydara on Tuesday but remained inconclusive, and the 
next court session is scheduled for the end of the month, according to the US 
Baha'i office of Public Affairs.

Over 100 Baha’is, including six prominent members, held by the rebels have been 
tried on charges the minority says are false.

“A Houthi court in Sanaa has also given 22 Baha’is the same charge as Mr 
Haydara, most of the defendants have been imprisoned and spent years in 
detention since the rebels took over Sanaa,” according to the Yemeni Initiative 
for Defending the Rights of Baha’is.

A UN resolution has called for the immediate release of all Baha’i that are 
detained in Yemen due to their religious beliefs and to cease any harassment 
they are subjected to.

Mr Haydara,55, has been subjected to physical and psychological torture as well 
as being in solitary confinement for long periods, Majd Fadhil, Yemen’s deputy 
Human Rights Minister told The National.

“We have made continuous statements that confirm that there is no legitimacy 
and legality to his death sentence,” Mr Fadhil said.

Concerns for Yemen's Baha'i minority targeted by Houthi rebels

Houthis arrest Baha'i spokesman in Yemen

UN experts call on Houthis to release Bahai prisoners

But the Iran-backed rebels have not responded to the government's request to 
release the Baha'i detainees. “They must pressure the militias to release all 
those who are arbitrarily abducted, forcibly disappeared,” the official said.

The Houthi court last year ruled for the confiscation of Mr Haydara’s assets 
and properties and for the closing of all Baha'i institutions in Yemen, Mr 
Fadhil said.

His family members say he is in poor health and must be released immediately.

Violence against the minority group has become more common over the last 3 
years since the rebels seized Yemen’s capital.

“Mr Haydara is innocent of any crime and should be cleared of all charges. This 
ongoing prosecution, based solely on his religious beliefs, is an affront to 
justice. We ask that he and all other imprisoned Baha’is be released 
immediately," Anthony Vance, Director of the Office of Public Affairs for the 
Baha’is of the United States told The National.

The Baha'i faith was founded in Iran, but is opposed by the regime in Tehran. 
Iran grants freedom of religion to several minorities but targets the Baha'is, 
who believe in unity among religions.

Nearly 2,000 Baha'is live in Yemen, with most of them based in Houthi-held 
Sanaa. Prior to the rebel coup, the vulnerable community coexisted in peace 
with other factions of Yemen’s society.

(source: thenational.ae)