Mentally Ill Briton Executed in China

Concerned Londoners and family members of British citizen Akmal Shaikh gathered outside the Chinese embassy in London last night. They were calling for the Chinese regime to cancel his execution.

But despite their pleas, Shaikh was put to death at 10:30 am Beijing time, or 2:30 am in London. He was the first national of a European Union country to be executed in China in 50 years.

Shaikh was convicted of smuggling 9 lbs of heroin into China. Organizers of the vigil say the Chinese court should have overturned his death sentence because he was mentally ill. Drug smugglers had convinced Shaikh to go to China, claiming they could help him launch his pop music career there.

[Maya Farr, Vigil Organizer]:
“There is overwhelming evidence from when he was a citizen in Britain, Akmal, that he was not of sound mind, that he was mentally ill. He had bipolar disorder and we believe this hasn’t been taken into consideration by the Chinese government at all in his case. He had one half-hour hearing, and that was it; the decision was made from that.”

The lawyer for Shaikh’s death sentence review told the Associated Press that he was never allowed to meet with Shaikh.

Early this morning, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown condemned the execution in a statement issued by the Foreign Office.

NTD News, London.

(NTDTV)