British citizen Akmal Shaikh executed in China

[Atasas]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/6903440/British-citizen-Akmal-Shaikh-executed-in-China.html

Akmal Shaikh, the British man arrested in China over drug smuggling, has been executed, the British Foreign Office has confirmed.

Published: 4:32AM GMT 29 Dec 2009

Akmal Shaikh in Poland in 2007

Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, condemned the execution "in the strongest terms" saying he was "appalled and disappointed that our persistent requests for clemency have not been granted."

Shaikh, 53, was killed - believed to be by lethal injection - in Urumqi, the capital of the far western Xinjiang region, at 10:30 am (0230 GMT) after China's Supreme Court rejected a bid for clemency.

His family, the British Government and the British human rights charity Reprieve had been campaigning until the last minute for Shaikh to be spared the death penalty, but China refused to bow to international pressure.

Shaikh's supporters said the father-of-three suffered from bipolar disorder and that his illness should have been a mitigating factor in his sentencing.

But China defended its use of capital punishment and said the evidence of Shaikh's mental illness was "insufficient".

Shaikh is the first national from a European Union country to be executed in China in 50 years, according to Reprieve.

Mr Brown repeatedly raised Shaikh's case with China's leaders and appealed for clemency, but to no avail.

Reacting to news that the execution had been carried out, Mr Brown said: "I am particularly concerned that no mental health assessment was undertaken.

"At this time our thoughts are with Mr Shaikh's family and friends and I send them our sincere condolences," he said.

Authorities in China have not yet announced that the execution has taken place.

Shaikh, from London, was arrested in September 2007 in Urumqi with four about nine pounds of heroin. Campaigners claimed a criminal gang duped him into carrying the drugs.

He was sentenced to death in December last year and lost his final appeal earlier this month in China's Supreme Court.

Two of Shaikh's cousins visited him in Urumqi on Monday and told him of his fate.

The Supreme Court said the evidence provided by the British side of Shaikh's mental illness was "insufficient", according to a statement published on the central government's website.

It justified its use of capital punishment as a deterrent, saying: "To use the death penalty for extremely threatening and serious crimes involving drugs is beneficial to instilling fear and preventing drug crimes."

Reprieve said it had medical evidence that Shaikh suffered from a delusion he was going to China to record a hit single that would usher in world peace. New witnesses have emerged to back that claim.

Two British men, Paul Newberry and Gareth Saunders, both quoted by Reprieve, said they had helped him record a song in Poland and it was clear that he was mentally disturbed.

Mr Newberry said Shaikh "was clearly suffering from delusions and it seemed to me he was a particularly severe case of manic depressive."

According to the London-based rights group Amnesty International, China executes more people every year than the rest of the world combined, but the actual numbers put to death remain a state secret.

Not sure myself weather I am saddened by the fact of death sentence or happy for one more big time dealer gone forever...

One thing I am not happy about- media coverage- nothing until last day, then pledges about mental illness... :s

[Bizarre™]

Let's just hope this doesn't end up in a war :fear:

[Atasas]

Let's just hope this doesn't end up in a war :fear:

Not sure where you joking? :unsure:

War between China and...? Civil rights is one issue, but war with them- no chance!

[Bizarre™]

@Atasas:

Nope, not joking at all. Situations like this can lead to a war.

Especially if both sides are ill-tempered... hope not...

[shought]

I doubt this will lead to a war.

But I do have to, partially, agree with Bizarre. There's a big chance that if the current political climate will stay like it is or even gets worse we will have war some time in our lifetime.

[karachidude]

Britian would have done the same :P

[rashad]

A countries like China or Russia will not answer to pressure of this kind, there might other ways to deal with problems like this and publicity is not one of them for sure leaders in those countries (ruled by dictatorship) will answer to silent bribes much better than answering to public pressure. I feel sorry for his family and more sorry for the people died or got affected by his evil work, but sure not sorry for him to be out.

[LeetPirate]

Where exactly will Britain get money to fund any war? Their butt buddy USA is poor and had to borrow from China. No war here, not a chance of that happening.

[jalaffa]

I think the man killed (what a disgrace) was diluted somehow.

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[karachidude]

yeh if he was selling drugs and all,he deserved to die

[Atasas]

I think the man killed (what a disgrace) was diluted somehow.

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HHHMM'Kay... :blink: :fear:

BTW What was wrong with my embedding? how come I dont embed them?

Should I start rabbit song? :lol: