Calls for clemency as Brit faces execution in China
December 22, 2009
A Brit who has been accused of drug smuggling in China could be the first European Union national to be executed in the country for fifty years. Fifty-one-year-old North Londoner, Akmal Shaikh was arrested by Chinese officials in 2007 accused of carrying 4kg of heroin into the country.
The Foreign Office says that it is desperately trying to get the sentence overturned. It is claimed that Shaikh has mental problems and that these should be taken into account by the Chinese authorities. Reprieve, a charity which promotes human rights and tries to get prisoners fair trials says that Shaikh was conned into carrying the drugs into the country by someone who had promised him work in a nightclub in exchange for the favour. The charity also points out that Shaikh’s state of mind is questionable as he had decided to go to China to kick off his career as a pop star. He has no history of ever having sung in public and had previously been in Poland trying to establish his own airline.
Reprieve say that they believe that Shaikh has bipolar disorder and point out that this is probably why he is behaving the way he is. Clive Stafford Smith who runs Reprieve says that the Shaikh’s last chance to avoid execution is probably a plea for clemency. He said that Gordon Brown needs to contact President Hu directly and ask for a very big favour on behalf of the British people and to call for a proper mental health assessment.
The Foreign Office has confirmed that Akmal Shaikh’s execution has been set for December 29th.
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