In some nations, consensual same-sex acts remain punishable by death under state law

Countries & Cities · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: While many countries have decriminalized same-sex relationships, a handful of states still maintain the death penalty for homosexual activity. Beyond these legal frameworks, LGBTQ individuals globally face significant risks of extrajudicial violence, often driven by religious or political ideologies that frame their existence as a threat to traditional values.

As of 2023, at least seven UN member states—Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Uganda—maintain laws that prescribe the death penalty for homosexual acts. Uganda, which enacted its Anti-Homosexuality Act in May 2023, stands out as the only Christian-majority nation among this group. In most other cases, these capital statutes are rooted in interpretations of sharia law. The enforcement of these laws is highly inconsistent; some jurisdictions, such as Mauritania, have maintained a moratorium on executions for decades, while others, like Iran and Saudi Arabia, have carried out state-sanctioned executions since 2000.

The legal reality is often complicated by the distinction between codified statutes and the actual application of the death penalty. In countries like Brunei, the law exists but remains in abeyance. In others, such as Yemen, the threat of death may come from both the state penal code and vigilante groups enforcing traditional morality. Furthermore, some nations, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates, have legal systems where the status of capital punishment for homosexuality is disputed or theoretical, often relying on broader zina provisions that criminalize all sexual contact outside of marriage.

Beyond judicial systems, extrajudicial violence remains a pervasive threat. In regions like Iraq, Chechnya, and parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, LGBTQ individuals face abductions, torture, and murder by militias, state authorities, or vigilante mobs. In Brazil, despite the absence of capital punishment, the country reports high numbers of LGBTQ murders, which advocates attribute to a political environment fueled by fundamentalist rhetoric. These killings are frequently framed as hate crimes in Western contexts, whereas in other regions, they occur with impunity, reflecting a global spectrum of danger where legal status is only one component of the risks faced by queer communities.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• Why do 62 nations still criminalize homosexuality, often using laws from the colonial era?
• Is homosexuality truly an un-African import, or is that a historical myth?
• How the United Arab Emirates approaches capital punishment and its legal application today
• The shifting legal boundaries of marriage across the globe
• From criminalisation to equality: the complex, shifting landscape of LGBTQ rights in Britain
• The Roman Emperor who turned an entire empire into citizens to appease the gods
• How a French IT giant became a lightning rod for US immigration policy
• Diego de Losada founded Caracas on midsummer day 1567
• Dias called it Cape of Storms before Portugal renamed hope
• How a failed half-hour special became a Star Wars television adventure
• The city named for a rock that no longer exists
• The ancient inns that powered global trade across Asia, Africa and Europe for centuries

More in Cities · More in Countries & Cities · Latest · A–Z · All topics