China defiant after Briton's execution
China defends execution. Video: Reuters
China remained defiant today in the face of condemnation from the UK Government and human rights campaigners over the execution of a Briton said by his supporters be suffering from mental illness.
The Chinese embassy in London said Akmal Shaikh, 53, from Kentish Town, north London, had "no previous medical record" of mental illness and that his rights and interests had been properly respected.
Shaikh, who was convicted of smuggling 4kg of heroin into the country, was executed in the early hours of this morning despite last minute pleas for clemency from his family and campaigners.
A statement from the Chinese Embassy said: "During the legal process, Mr Shaikh's rights and interests were properly respected and guaranteed and the concerns of the British side were duly noted and taken into consideration by the Chinese judicial authorities.
"Out of humanitarian consideration, visas were granted to the two cousins of Mr Shaikh on Boxing Day, and they were given access to meeting Mr Shaikh in China.
"As for his possible mental illness which has been much talked about, there apparently has been no previous medical record."
The statement was issued after Gordon Brown said he was "appalled" and "disappointed" by the execution and offered his condolences to the Shaikh family.
Health Secretary Andy Burnham said he was "deeply saddened" and described the execution as "abhorrent".
"When I woke up this morning and heard that it had happened I felt desperately sorry and deeply saddened for friends and family," he told GMTV.
"I think we need to condemn it in the strongest possible terms.
"For an individual with mental health problems to be executed in this way is really quite abhorrent.
"The Prime Minister has made his views explicitly clear about what has happened and those will be communicated to the Chinese authorities."
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Dr Michael A. Riccioli
Dec 30th 2009, 00:28
@Tommy Lee
What makes you say that he was *definately*(sic) a drug runner? Where do you have this first-hand information from?I don't have the impression that you've read the story behind all this, very carefully. The second thing is, on what grounds do you have the right to doubt his British citizenship.
@Nathan Young
What has Guantanamo have to do with all this?
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At least Mr Alamango admits he's been wasting his time (and wasting bandwidth) writing some text which is off topic!
Andrea Portelli
Dec 29th 2009, 23:02
Bi-Polar disease, as the media claims he had, does not make one retarded (to put it bluntly)
The man was just extremely naive.... that was his fault.
Execution justified
Nathan Young
Dec 29th 2009, 21:48
@Tommy Lee
I agree with you and would go further. The British Government should not get involved. If you break a law in any country then you should have to take the punishment there. There is too much interference by Britain in the business of other countries legal systems.
Gordon Brown and his cronies,like Blair before him,are too soft.They get these criminals and the terrorists from Guantanimo home to serve their sentences in the U.K.,and release them within a few days.
Basil Alamango
Dec 29th 2009, 20:03
I myself was quite disgusted when MPs in the UK voted against proposals to reduce the upper time limit for abortions to 20 weeks (from 24 weeks). According to the BBC, Prime Minister Gordon Brown and most of the cabinet voted to keep the existing 24 week limit (as did Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg). Catholic cabinet ministers Ruth Kelly, Des Browne and Paul Murphy voted for the lowest option being proposed at 12 weeks. I know this that nothing to do with the subject matter being discussed here, but even so.
Tommy Lee
Dec 29th 2009, 18:49
He was as much British as I am Chinese. He was definately a drug runner and deserved what he got.If we did the same in Europe to his ilk then thousands of young lives would be saved. How many thousands have died from drug overdoses in the last 30 years? Execute them all and get rid of the drug menace.