Elton John has joined calls for nine Brunei-owned luxury hotels to be boycotted over the country's new anti-gay laws.
The punishments for same-sex sexual acts and adultery come into effect in the tiny nation from April 3rd, including death by stoning.
New legislation based on Sharia law has been gradually rolled out in the country since 2014.
Human rights organisations have decried the punishments, with Amnesty International calling them "heinous".
Here, Health Minister Simon Harris has called for international pressure to applied to have the "despicable" laws reversed.
A despicable & horrific decision which must be called out as such by all & international pressure applied to reverse such an appalling breach of human rights. Sickening. https://t.co/1Gp8hWHJ2M
— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) March 31, 2019
George Clooney last week led the calls for hotels owned by the Brunei Investment Agency - including the exclusive Dorchester hotel in London.
In a series of tweets last night, Elton John said: "I commend my friend, George Clooney, for taking a stand against the anti-gay discrimination and bigotry taking place in the nation of Brunei - a place where gay people are brutalised, or worse - by boycotting the Sultan’s hotels."
We must send a message, however we can, that such treatment is unacceptable. That’s why David and I have long refused to stay at these hotels and will continue to do so.
We hope you will join us in solidarity.— Elton John (@eltonofficial) March 30, 2019
