Briton Akmal Shaikh Executed In China

[tekisui]

Source: BBC

Relatives are waiting to hear whether a British man convicted of drug smuggling in China has been executed.

Akmal Shaikh had been told he would be killed at 1030 (0230 GMT) on Tuesday, but it is not yet clear whether the sentence has been carried out.

The UK government made a last-ditch appeal for clemency on Monday on the grounds that the 53-year-old, from London, is said to be mentally ill.

China's Supreme Court had said the evidence for this was insufficient.

The BBC understands that if the execution has gone ahead, the Chinese authorities will inform the British authorities at a senior level.

British officials will first let Mr Shaikh's family know, and then the media.

more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8433265.stm


Briton Akmal Shaikh Executed In China
Source: Sky News

Akmal Shaikh's hopes of a last minute reprieve were doomed as China's supreme court approved his death sentence.

The court's declaration was the first official confirmation that the Briton's execution for heroin smuggling will go forward.

The state killing of the father-of-three, 53, is understood to have taken place at 10.30am local time (2.30am GMT).

In Beijing, Sky News reporter Holly Williams said: "In the last few minutes the Foreign Office and Prime Minister have confirmed Mr Shaikh's execution."
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Akmal-Shaikh-Executed-In-China-As-Britons-Death-Sentence-Approved-By-Supreme-Court/Article/200912415509509?lpos=World_News_Top_Stories_Header_0&lid=ARTICLE_15509509_Akmal_Shaikh_Executed_In_China_As_Britons_Death_Sentence_Approved_By_Supreme_Court

[HipChick]

1. Locked up Abroad gone very bad..I wonder why they would not transfer him back to the UK

[snagglepuss]

2. I heard on the news that he just heard yesterday from a relative that he was

facing the death penalty. I suppose the chinese don't think informing someone they're going to die is all that important.

Given their record of harvesting organs for sale, the chinese must have just recieved payment for his organs so it was time to off him.

[roguevalley]

3. I will never understand how people think they can get away with this

sort of thing. This is a terrible price to pay for a stupid judgement. But its like a lot of us. We think being American can get us out of a foreign jail if we screw up. I feel for his family.

[snagglepuss]

4. It's utter stupidity flamed by greed. Even though loathe heroin traffickers I loathe

the Chinese government even more with their vested interest in killing prisoners for organ harvesting. It must have been a nightmare when he found out he had hours to live but he knew the risk.:(