A move by Brunei to punish gay sex by stoning to death has been condemned as “inhuman” by the UN. The new penal code is due to be implemented on Wednesday and is in keeping with sharia law, according to the Asian nation. In a statement on Saturday, the office of sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said the changes would “criminalis[e] and dete[r] acts that are against the teachings of Islam”. The new punishments will also include the death penalty for people committing adultery, amputations for theft, as well as introducing whipping for sodomy, adultery or rape. Michelle Bachelet, the UN’s top human rights official, urged the government “to stop the entry into force of this draconian new penal code, which would mark a serious setback for human rights protections for the people of Brunei if implemented”.