Is apostasy illegal in Brunei?
Death penalty possible
Brunei's Syariah Penal Code makes apostasy punishable by death, with the law coming into full force in 2019.
Brunei is one of 11 countries classified “Death penalty possible” for apostasy — 37% of the 30 with data. (Also searched as leaving a religion.)
Source
- Taken from
- Wikipedia: Apostasy in Islam by country
- Last checked
- 7 July 2026
- How it was classified
- Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.
Nearby countries
- Indonesia
- Criminal offense Indonesia's blasphemy laws protect all recognised religions and have been used to prosecute atheist apostates, including Alexander Aan who was sentenced to prison for declaring himself an atheist.
- Bangladesh
- Criminal offense While Bangladesh has no formal law against apostasy, there have been instances of persecution and violence against those who leave Islam, including targeted killings.
- Sri Lanka
- Criminal offense Rishvin Ismath faced death threats for speaking out against textbooks that claim apostates from Islam should be killed, indicating social and legal pressure against leaving Islam.
- Maldives
- Death penalty possible Maldives revived death penalty for apostasy under new regulations, though it was abolished in 1953.
- Pakistan
- Criminal offense Apostasy is illegal in Pakistan and can lead to serious criminal charges under blasphemy laws, with no specific law against apostasy but effective prosecution through existing laws.
- Afghanistan
- Death penalty possible Apostasy in Afghanistan is punishable by death under Hanafi Sunni jurisprudence, with no legal protection for those leaving Islam.
Other laws in Brunei
- Holocaust Denial
- No specific law
- Conversion Therapy
- No ban
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.