A general view shows the Hotel Eden, which belongs to luxury hotel operator Dorchester Collection, owned by the Brunei Investment Agency, on April 1, 2019 in Rome (Andreas SOLARO)

Berlin (AFP) – Deutsche Bank said Thursday it had removed Brunei-owned Dorchester Collection group from the list of hotels its employees use, after the Asian nation adopted the sharia law, including the death penalty for gay sex.

“The new laws introduced by Brunei breach the most basic human rights, and we believe it is our duty as a firm to take action against them,” said Stuart Lewis, the bank’s chief risk officer.

Dorchester Collection hotel group is owned by Brunei’s state-owned investment agency.

Deutsche Bank counts among the co-founders of the Partnership for Global LGBTIQ Equality consortium to promote greater inclusion for LGBTIQ in business.

The tough sharia penal code in the tiny country on tropical Borneo island — ruled by the all-powerful Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah — came into force Wednesday following years of delays.

The laws, including death by stoning for adultery and gay sex, make Brunei the first place in East or Southeast Asia to have a sharia penal code at a national level, joining several mostly Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia.

The decision to push ahead with the punishments has sparked alarm around the world, with actor George Clooney and pop star Elton John calling for Brunei-owned hotels to be boycotted.

The Australian arm of Richard Branson’s Virgin Airlines has also cancelled a staff travel agreement with Brunei’s national carrier over the Asian state’s decision.

Disclaimer: Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Source: AFP.