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As Pride is marked from the UK to communities globally, 12 United Nations countries still have the death penalty for being gay
Defend uk urges 12 countries to drop the death penalty amongst more than 64 known to criminalise homosexuality
Defend uk urges 12 countries to drop the death penalty amongst more than 64 known to criminalise homosexuality
Media launched: Thursday 16th July 2026
The defend uk Campaign has today condemned countries where freely expressing homosexuality could potentially lead to death, forcing innocent people to spend a life living in fear and repression.
It comes as LGBTQ+ Pride Events take place within communities throughout the UK and the world as summer takes hold.
Specific circumstances can vary in each country but general consensus is that there are currently 12 countries which have death sentences and all 12 are U.N members. This brings into question the ability of the UN to take appropriate action. In this instance Defend uk refers to a list and its associated comment compiled by CoPilot AI which itself cites key sources such as the Death Penalty Information Centre and Fairplanet.org
Director of the Defend UK Campaign, Jason Tanner says: "Any nation that threatens its own people because they love each other or wish to socialise or become intimate and express themselves must think again. It's disappointing that many countries are members of the United Nations and therefore clearly go against some of the key principles behind the UN. The UN should toughen its stance when civil liberties are in such grave peril as it risks becoming a badge that countries use to gain a level of credibility and little else.
As of 2026, at least twelve countries legally allow the death penalty for consensual same-sex sexual activity. More than 64 criminalize homosexuality.
Countries Where the Death Penalty Applies
Countries Where the Death Penalty Applies
The following countries have laws that permit or actively impose the death penalty for homosexual acts:
Afghanistan – Sharia law allows death for sexual acts outside marriage, including same-sex relations Death Penalty Information Center.
Brunei – The Syariah Penal Code prescribes death by stoning for male homosexual acts, though a moratorium is currently in place Wikipedia+1.
Iran – Male-male sexual activity is a capital offense under the Islamic Penal Code Wikipedia+1.
Mauritania – Sharia-based laws allow the death penalty for homosexual acts Death Penalty Information Center.
Nigeria – In some northern states under Sharia law, male homosexual acts can be punished by death Wikipedia+1.
Pakistan – Certain interpretations of Sharia law allow capital punishment for same-sex sexual activity Death Penalty Information Center.
Qatar – Homosexual acts are criminalized and can carry the death penalty under Sharia law Death Penalty Information Center.
Saudi Arabia – Male homosexual acts are punishable by death, often by stoning or beheading fairplanet.org.
Somalia – In areas controlled by Sharia law, male homosexuality can result in death ecpm.org+1.
United Arab Emirates – Sharia law allows the death penalty for homosexual acts, though enforcement varies Death Penalty Information Center.
Uganda – In 2023, Uganda became the only Christian-majority country with capital punishment for certain consensual same-sex acts Wikipedia.
Yemen – Homosexual acts are punishable by death under Islamic law Death Penalty Information Center.
Jason continues: "Defend is not a religious-based organisation but notes the association for this atrocity against humanity being made by different regimes that adopt different forms of religion as some sort of acceptable excuse. Freedom of expression and the ability to develop your full personality is a basic human right as long as it steers clear of being hateful or being hi-jacked itself as a false excuse to subdue others without good and just cause.
"Even a basic awareness of key religions across the world will see common, highly important themes being conveniently ignored by people who abuse many different forms of religious teachings to suit their own needs.
" I think there's no harm in any human reviewing current beliefs and seeing if their religion still reflects what their god, however they are known, actually wants. Whether or not someone chooses to believe in a god figure, the history of humans is infinitely older than our contemporary religions. People really do need to consider a bigger picture."
"Defend uk has recently become aware of an announcement known as the 'New Realisation' which uses the term 'Creator' to cover countless other god-names but whether or not someone believes in such a god, it really is very hard not to agree with the New Realisation's single clear message about people being judged in life about how much they pull together rather than against one another."
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Important context: As a journalist and comms professional, Jason would want to declare a cross over in sourcing and interests as detailed below, though it doesn't affect the validity
Notes for editors
Further press information: Jason Tanner, Defend UK campaign for free speech 07941 433598 jason@jasontanner.uk or hello@defenduk.uk www.defenduk.uk/defend
Notes for Editors
1) Jason Tanner is the founding Director of the defend uk Campaign and an independent news & royal commentator. After several years' overseeing national and international media relations for the National Trust, Jason headed up media relations for Dame Elisabeth Hoodless at CSV (now Volunteering Matters). He worked closely with key national journalists on a project that placed ground-breaking community volunteers within the families of children at risk. He also headed a talented team that put volunteers on the map during the Year of the Volunteer (2005) leading to the climactic efforts of the Olympic Volunteers of 2012.
After receiving Distinction in his formal NCT(B)J journalism training, he started the first 5 years of his career working as a broadcast journalist for BBC Southern Counties, becoming the Senior Broadcast Journalist at Mercury FM & Mercury Extra, now subsumed by Global. After that he switched to his related career in media relations with 'blue-chip' charities
2) According to Statistica Research Department, as of 2024, homosexuality is criminalised in 64 countries globally, with most of these nations situated in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In 12 of these countries, the death penalty is either enforced or remains a possibility for private, consensual same-sex sexual activity. The 12 countries identified above are members of the United Nations
Statistica reports in many cases, the laws only apply to sexual relations between two men, but 38 countries have amendments that include those between women in their definitions.
These penalties represent abuses of human rights, especially the rights to freedom of expression, the right to develop one's own personality and the right to life.
3) Current State of Laws - In more detail Original source: CoPilot and acknowledgement to Wikipedia (Cross reference by Defend UK elsewhere)
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4) Declaration of Interest: Jason Tanner straddles two areas of his work with this specific media announcement. He's Director of the Defend UK Campaign but it's concern over death sentences acribed to religious doctrines coincides with Tanners News Agency receiving instruction to make a small dent into the internet. The agency service is very new and it is an unexpected commission though the coincidenve brings the two stories together. Tanners News Agency has done some background research and found that algorithms on the net will initially make it difficult for the New Realisation to surface electronically. Click here to read the New Realisation of the Final Judgement being published by the agency and no doubt elsewhere in due course.
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