George Clooney calls for hotel boycott over horrific 'anti-gay' law

Clooney has called for urgent action over a cruel new law. Photo / Getty Images

George Clooney is calling for the boycott of nine hotels in the US and Europe with ties to the sultan of Brunei, which next month will implement Islamic criminal laws to punish gay sex by stoning offenders to death.

The Hollywood actor wrote in Deadline Hollywood: "Let that sink in. In the onslaught of news where we see the world backsliding into authoritarianism this stands alone.

He writes that you can't shame "murderous regimes," but you can shame "the banks, the financiers and the institutions that do business with them."

The hotels are The Dorchester and Coworth Park in the UK; Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles; Le Meurice and Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris; Hotel Eden in Rome; and Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah rules the oil-rich monarchy with full executive authority, and the hotels are owned by the Brunei Investment Agency.

An email seeking comment was sent to the agency Friday.

Clooney said they were some of the "most exclusive" hotels in the world.

He even admitted he had stayed in some of them — until now.

"Every single time we stay at, or take meetings at or dine at any of these nine hotels we are putting money directly into the pockets of men who choose to stone and whip to death their own citizens for being gay or accused of adultery," he said.

George and Amal Clooney. Photo / Getty Images

"Are we really going to help fund the murder of innocent citizens?"

From April 3, people in Brunei who engage in same-sex activity can be flogged and stoned to death.

Consenting same-sex relations are already punishable by 10 years imprisonment under Brunei's existing penal code.

The sultan is one of the world's richest people.

"I've learned over years of dealing with murderous regimes that you can't shame them," the actor-turned-activist wrote.

"But you can shame the banks, the financiers and the institutions that do business with them and choose to look the other way.

This wouldn't be the first boycott targeting the Brunei-owned luxury hotels.

In 2014, Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres supported such action after the hard line Islamic country cracked down on gay and lesbian behaviour.

Several events were cancelled in LA hotels at the time as a result, according to Clooney.

Amnesty International's Brunei Researcher Rachel Chhoa-Howard said: "Brunei must immediately halt its plans to implement these vicious punishments, and revise its Penal Code in compliance with its human rights obligations. The international community must urgently condemn Brunei's move to put these cruel penalties into practice."