The sultan of Brunei says his country will extend its moratorium on the death penalty to include newly enacted laws punishing homosexual acts and adultery with death by stoning, in an apparent response to weeks of criticism and a high-profile boycott... [C]elebrities such as George Clooney and Elton John urged a boycott of luxury hotels owned by the country's investment agency. Many of those properties are in Europe and the U.S., including the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles and The Dorchester in London... "I am aware that there are many questions and misperceptions with regard to the implementation of the [Syariah Penal Code Order]. ... We are conscious of the fact that misperceptions may cause apprehension," the sultan said in a statement. "However, we believe that once these have been cleared, the merit of the law will be evident."

The statement went on to say that for decades, the small Southeast Asian nation has observed a moratorium on imposing the death penalty under its common law and that this will now cover cases brought under Brunei's Islamic laws... The sultan made no mention of changes to other strict punishments under the laws, including amputations for thieves and whipping women convicted of having lesbian sex.