China executes British drug smuggler
 

Briton Akmal Shaikh Executed In China

David Williams, Sky News Online

The Briton convicted of drug smuggling in China has been executed, the Foreign Office has confirmed.

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China is said to have rejected claims of Mr Shaikh's mental illness (Pic: Luis Belmonte Diaz)

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."

His family and supporters had said Mr Shaikh is mentally unstable and should have been given clemency.

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Akmal Shaikh (Pic: Luis Belmonte Diaz)

But a Chinese news agency reported the Supreme Court ruled British-provided evidence of his mental illness was "insufficient".

The Xinhua news agency's quoted source also said the evidence failed to establish Mr Shaikh's family had a history of mental illness.

"Akmal himself also did not provide such materials," the source added.

"The court investigation deems that there is no reason to suspect Akmal's mental situation; therefore, the request to establish the condition of mental illness in this case is unacceptable."

Mr Shaikh, from Kentish Town, London, was arrested in 2007 for carrying almost 4kg of heroin into China on a flight from Tajikistan.

He becomes the first European citizen to be executed in China in more than half a century.

for once, i say goodjob on the chinese gov't
who's dumb enough to board a plane w/4kg of heroin

For every 50 people they kill and send to prison for "subversion" (basically, asking for democracy), they kill one drug smuggler.

Go China

Canada should execute all the drug dealers here too!

And then the millions of potheads would be up in arms against the government because they'd have to get off their lazy asses and actually FIND a way to get weed.

death penalty is a bit harsh for smuggling in an illegal chemical substance
what's the difference between having posession of flour, sugar, salt, heroin, crack or even weed? They could all have equivalent weights. same physical forms(powder) It is absurd to be put to death by anothers' hands for being a possesor of his own possession.

but ya, he breaks the law and the law says death penalty so go die. there's a reason for laws. of course it's not always a good law but this guy can be sacrifial lamb for future change in this law.

^ take 4kg of heroine on a plane, get caught and find out for us. kthx.

According to another news article I read he has been living on the streets for a couple of years prior to this happening. Regardless, you guys have to understand that he was nothing but a mule for a bigger corporation, and 5kg of heroin for someones life did nothing to the grand scheme of things.
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what is difference between your piss and tea? maybe you should just drink your own piss...since they look so similar.

china is tough on drugs because of history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_Wars

I have to somewhat agree. Being executed for simply being a mule is a bit harsh. Yes, I can understand that it will make future runners think twice about bringing in drugs, but a death sentence really is a bit too much.

lol

what makes you think china has the right to take someone's life for being able to own something materialistic in this world? who said china has the right to own such land? as a matter of fact who owns anything?

one explanation of ownership of of anything having a physical being is free to all until one does work onto it.

the idea is of equivalent trade . bibles and shops and whatever out there is of equivalent trade can be said to be fair game

now what i believe is that having a death sentence for having 4kg of heroin is not equivalent trade. the guy has maybe 20-30years of life left which is not equal to what 4kg of heroin can do that is worth 20-30yrs. forget about risks of being caught or not. You tell me what 20-30yrs is worth.

of course this is china so u can money cuz those chinese like their money
to china 4kg of heroin converted to money = the guys life

ok so, u tell me if it's right to murder someone for his possession of something he owns.

^are you zhangfei?!

I think drug trafficking is a heinous crime. For the community receiving the drug's point of view - If this drug ends up in Vancouver:
-Some drug will eventually fall into hands of highschool students or people who never did touch this stuff. Their lives could be ruined.
-Market for illicit drug will be saturated with supply. Cost of drugs will be more cheaper and affordable. Addicts will buy more drugs rather than seek rehab or help when their fund runs out
-More small time illegal activities such as break ins, robbery, mugging, stolen goods, etc - done by your local drug addicts. When things turn ugly, victims die
-Gang war, more innocent people will get caught in crossfire

Many countries are well aware of the consequences of importing drugs thus stiff punishment.

I have yet to mention the consequences for the areas developing the drug. Probably more civil unrest, terrorism, etc.

what a retard

For me illicit drug use and distribution in itself is a "culture" of its own. However you want to interpret it is up to you.

If you look at Modern Chinese culture, you could say it is very much about maximum productivity, for a lack of better words. Yes, you can argue but for me a glaring fact of the matter is that "it" has a status quo of economic growth to maintain(9%?). That's her game and she and everyone knows thats what she's good at.

The crux of the matter is, as a manager or leader do you believe an illicit drug such as heroin in the "culture" of your factory could have an affect on your productivity?

You have to realize China, IMHO, is expanding as fast as the original imperial/dominion of Africa in some ways. I might need to research more on the history of narcotics in african history but this news may not be much of a shocker in that part of the world.

Although Im only Chinese Canadian Ive been brought up and led to believe I am an inferior race. Sad, but its true.
Chinese are still on catch up mode. Chinese smoking crack or shooting up is even worse.

He's not being killed for owning 4 kgs of cocaine. He's dead because he brought them with him to broad a plane, trying to cross into another country, aka, trafficing. Posted via RS Mobile

fishing666 go live on DT eastside for a week, then tell me what you say.

K thanks goodbye.

The only reason this is news is because the guy is from England...

I had you the whole time as I think Ive read the same book as you until the trade part. Now maybe I ought to finish my reading which i put down, but to put in perspective, the guy "looks" to know what he was in for, and maybe he had nothing to lose.

This article reminds me of the time when I blew up at work when a co-worker put the Thai government at odds over marijuana laws when in fact it was white girl in Indonesia. What an idiot that guy was. If that guy layed out a haymaker on me, it would have been lights out.

I think the best thing is to let it go.

Good job on the Chinese government.

Every time I pass by Main and Hastings, I think Singapore and China got it right.

For those who missed the Wikipedia link, just a little part of history, but also good to learn how the mainland Chinese think of foreigners and drugs:

The Opium Wars (simplified Chinese: 鸦片战争; traditional Chinese: 鴉片戰爭; pinyin: Yāpiàn Zhànzhēng), also known as the Anglo-Chinese Wars, were the climax of trade disputes and diplomatic difficulties between China under the Qing Dynasty and the British Empire after China sought to restrict British opium traffickers. It consisted of the First Opium War from 1839 to 1842 and the Second Opium War from 1856 to 1860.

Opium, which was not prohibited in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, was smuggled by merchants from British India into China in defiance of Chinese prohibition laws. Open warfare between Britain and China broke out in 1839. Further disputes over the treatment of British merchants in Chinese ports resulted in the Second Opium War.

China was defeated in both wars leaving its government having to tolerate the opium trade. Britain forced the Chinese government into signing the Treaty of Nanjing and the Treaty of Tianjin, also known as the Unequal Treaties, which included provisions for the opening of additional ports to unrestricted foreign trade, for fixed tariffs; for the recognition of both countries as equal in correspondence; and for the cession of Hong Kong to Britain.

The British also gained extraterritorial rights. Several countries followed Britain and sought similar agreements with China. Many Chinese found these agreements humiliating and these sentiments contributed to the Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864), the Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901), and the downfall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912, putting an end to dynastic China.

WOW... i was like "they never execute foreigners" and bam at the bottom it says the first time in over 50years


what's unbelievable though.... is WHY WOULD HE SMUGGLE HEROIN INTO China???? i mean heroin is all over the place in china (especially the South West) was he planning on heading elsewhere and the plane just stopped in China first?

are you serious? Their is a difference between flour and heroin.

The people "give" governments the right to enforce rules and penalty.
He knew what could happen if he gets caught. He took the risk. Now he is paying for it. It is that simple.

equivalent trade... you think this is fullmetal alchemist or something? lol
Stop watching animation all day... go out for change.

In my opinion

China's justice system is a bit harsh
and
Canda's justice system is a bit relax


however, it seems like the harsh style works better than being relax