Brunei has announced that the punishment for gay sex and adultery from April 3 onwards will include death by stoning, as the country moves forward with its implementation of Sharia law.
Other harsh punishments, like amputation of a hand or foot for theft, will also be put in place, according to the Guardian.
“To legalise such cruel and inhuman penalties is appalling of itself,” Rachel Chhoa-Howard, Brunei researcher at Amnesty International, said in a statement to the Guardian.
Read More: A Non-Muslim Has Been Punished Under Shari’a Law in Indonesia for the First Time
Homosexuality is already illegal in Brunei, but had previously been punishable by prison, according to the Guardian. The death penalty will reportedly apply to only Muslims for homosexual sex.
The majority Muslim Southeast Asian nation introduced Sharia law in 2014, but has been slow to enact new rules given harsh international criticism.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- The New Face of Doctor Who
- Putin’s Enemies Are Struggling to Unite
- Women Say They Were Pressured Into Long-Term Birth Control
- Scientists Are Finding Out Just How Toxic Your Stuff Is
- Boredom Makes Us Human
- John Mulaney Has What Late Night Needs
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Amy Gunia at amy.gunia@time.com