British Smuggler Executed in China

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**Frazzled**

Reposting from the previous thread that was done, in error, as the topic itself s a decent one. Lets avoid terms like racism and out and out flamebaiting please.

URUMQI, China – China brushed aside international appeals Tuesday and executed by lethal injection a British drug smuggler who relatives say was mentally unstable and unwittingly lured into crime.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was "appalled" at the execution of 53-year old Akmal Shaikh — China's first of a European citizen in nearly 60 years. His government summoned the Chinese ambassador in London to express its anger.

China defended its handling of the case, saying there had not been documentary proof Shaikh was mentally ill. Beijing also criticized Brown's comments, but said it hoped the case would not harm bilateral relations. The Foreign Ministry called on London not to create any "obstacles" to better ties.

Shaikh's daughter Leilla Horsnell was quoted by the BBC and other British media outlets as saying she was "shocked and disappointed that the execution went ahead with no regards to my dad's mental health problems, and I struggle to understand how this is justice."

The execution is the latest sign of how China's communist government, with its rising global economic and political clout, is increasingly willing to defy Western complaints over its justice system and human rights record.

Last week, a court sentenced the co-author of a political reform manifesto to 11 years in prison in what rights groups called a direct rebuff to international pressure. Diplomats from more than a dozen countries were shut out of Liu Xiaobo's trial on subversion charges. The United States called for his immediate release.

Earlier in the month, China urged Cambodia to interrupt a U.N. refugee screening process and subsequently Phnom Penh repatriated 20 ethnic Uighur asylum seekers accused of involvement in ethnic unrest in western China.

Shaikh, a Briton of Pakistani descent, was arrested in 2007 for carrying a suitcase with almost 9 pounds (4 kilograms) of heroin into China on a flight from Tajikistan. He told Chinese officials he didn't know about the drugs and that the suitcase wasn't his, according to Reprieve, a London-based prisoner advocacy group that is helping with his case.

He was convicted in 2008 after a half-hour trial.

He first learned he was about to be executed Monday from his visiting cousins, who made a last-minute plea for his life. They say he is mentally unstable and was lured to China from a life on the street in Poland by men playing on his dreams to record a pop song for world peace.

The press office of the Xinjiang region where Shaikh had been held confirmed the execution in a statement handed to journalists.

In his statement issued by the Foreign Office, Brown said he condemned the execution "in the strongest terms, and am appalled and disappointed that our persistent requests for clemency have not been granted."

"I am particularly concerned that no mental health assessment was undertaken," Brown said.

The Foreign Office said Foreign Minister Ivan Lewis on Tuesday had reiterated to China's ambassador, Fu Ying, statements by Brown and Foreign Secretary David Miliband condemning Shaikh's execution.

Brown had spoken personally to China's prime minister about the case. Miliband had earlier condemned the execution and said there were unanswered questions about the trial — including over whether there was adequate interpretation during the trial.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu responded that drug smuggling was a serious crime.

"We express our strong dissatisfaction and opposition to the British accusation," Jiang told a regularly scheduled news conference in Beijing.

The official Xinhua News Agency quoted China's Supreme Court as saying Tuesday that although officials from the British Embassy and a British aid organization called for a mental health examination for Shaikh, "the documents they provided could not prove he had a mental disorder nor did members of his family have a history of mental disease."

"There is no reason to cast doubt on Akmal Shaikh's mental status," the Supreme Court was quoted as saying.

Xinhua said Shaikh was put to death by lethal injection. China, which executes more people than any other country, is increasingly doing so by lethal injection, although some death sentences are still carried out by a shot in the head.

The Beijing-based lawyer for Shaikh's death sentence review, Zhang Qingsong, said Tuesday he never got to meet with Shaikh despite asking the judge and the detention center for access. He said China's highest court never evaluated Shaikh's mental status.

According to Reprieve, the last European executed in China was Antonio Riva, an Italian pilot who was shot by a firing squad in 1951 after being convicted of involvement in what China said was a plot to assassinate Mao Zedong and other high-ranking communist officials.

"The death of Akmal Shaikh is a sad indictment of today's world, and particularly of China's legal system. ... We at Reprieve are sickened by what we have seen during our work on this case," said Sally Rowen, legal director of Reprieve's death penalty team.

Reprieve issued a statement from Shaikh's family members saying they expressed "their grief at the Chinese decision to refuse mercy."

The statement thanked supporters, including those who attended a vigil for Shaikh outside the Chinese Embassy in London on Monday night, along with members of a Facebook group that drew 5,000 members in just a few days.

The statement asked the media and public to respect the family's privacy as they "come to terms with what has happened to someone they loved."

Gareth Saunders, a British teacher who knew Shaikh in Warsaw, said his friend was cheerful but obviously very mentally ill. He said the last time they met in an underpass, Shaikh said he was traveling to Central Asia but would return in two weeks.

"I tried to contact after two weeks, no reply. that was the last time I tried to contact him," Saunders told The Associated Press.

yahoo news

**Orlanth**

[Back to the topic.] Gordon Brown speaks out in defence of a drug smuggler but refuses to help current and past british captives of Somali pirates, also when a Bahrain-British yaughting team was seized by Iranians last week the only thing that happened was a pess blackout. A case of washing the hands of the yaughtsmen under the guise of not negotiation.
Later the Bahrain royal family intervened and the yaughtsmen were freed.

Good riddance to the drug smuggler, but its about time that Gordon Brown uses his newfound balls to help Britons abroad who actually need and deserve help.

**Clthomps**

So no one is debating whether or not he did smuggle drugs?

I also concur that the world is better off without him.

**MeanGreenStompa**

Considering the general attitude and outlook of the Chinese government (break the law and die), smuggling drugs into the country must rank as fairly high on the stupidity meter.

But as has been stated, this man may have had mental health issues.

He first learned he was about to be executed Monday from his visiting cousins, who made a last-minute plea for his life. They say he is mentally unstable and was lured to China from a life on the street in Poland by men playing on his dreams to record a pop song for world peace.

If this was the case and he was not well enough to understand his actions or even aware enough of what was happening, then I say it's a great shame. We won't get the chance to find out the full details since China is fairly adversarial in letting the rest of the world know what it's doing. Even if it's established that this homeless man was seriously mentally unwell and unable to make rational judgement then it's all too late to do much since they offed him pretty quick.

As to yachtsmen getting seized by Somali pirates, the Royal Navy should sink a couple of their ships in international waters, might give them pause for thought. The rich and stupid sailing into Iranian waters just boggles my brain.

**mattyrm**

MGS, he had no previous record of any mental health issues, and the guy was in his fifties.

Good riddance.

**Orlanth**

Clthomps wrote:So no one is debating whether or not he did smuggle drugs?

The Press wrote:Shaikh, a Briton of Pakistani descent, was arrested in 2007 for carrying a suitcase with almost 9 pounds (4 kilograms) of heroin into China on a flight from Tajikistan. He told Chinese officials he didn't know about the drugs and that the suitcase wasn't his, according to Reprieve, a London-based prisoner advocacy group that is helping with his case.

Its a common bs to say. this case itsnt mine' when caught. sorry i dont buy that for a moment. Its as inexcusable as saying 'I didnt know about the drugs because I didnt pack the case'. Neither washes, the first is BS the second is at best idiocy, and ther sort of iciocy for which you pay the price. Everyone knows you take responsibiklity for your own bags.
The only excuse, and one not used, is if you have grounds to claim your baggage had been tampered with, this can only occur of baggage hadling is in on it, and is a very rare problem which would be corroborated by other cases 9sic) between the same destinations. This is a problem with cross channel ferrys, not with major internatonal airports.

Now if this wasnt his bag that would be evident very quickly, again partly excusable if the baggage was so generic that it was unidentifiable, in which case there would be confusion of several passengers getting the wrong bags. Again I cant buy that for a second.

The perp was caught with 4kg, and therefore deserved punishment. I am not happy with the death penalty in principle, but this is China, you smuggle there you get whats coming. Good riddance.

**BluntmanDC**

Orlanth wrote:[Back to the topic.] Gordon Brown speaks out in defence of a drug smuggler but refuses to help current and past british captives of Somali pirates, also when a Bahrain-British yaughting team was seized by Iranians last week the only thing that happened was a pess blackout. A case of washing the hands of the yaughtsmen under the guise of not negotiation.
Later the Bahrain royal family intervened and the yaughtsmen were freed.

Good riddance to the drug smuggler, but its about time that Gordon Brown uses his newfound balls to help Britons abroad who actually need and deserve help.

Gordon Brown tried to intervine due to the fact that the smuggler was mentally incompetant to stand trial, suffering from delusions and manic depression. the people you are talking about that deserve more help in your eyes are people that went into restricted waters or in the case of the couple held hostage by pirates ignored warnings given by multiple state and foriegn affairs departments, i have no sympathy for them, a passport isn't a free ride to do what you want.
i have no problem with people being punished in east asia for drug trafficing, nut those people knew what they were doing, he was mentally ill so shouldn't have been put on trial in the first place.

**Black Blow Fly**

Asia has an extremely strict stance towards drugs. If the man was off his rocker then it's unfortunate he had to be in China of all places. Does sound like a bit of a stretch though. You can always buy your way out in those types of countries if you've got the resources.

G

**MeanGreenStompa**

Green Blow Fly wrote:Asia has an extremely strict stance towards drugs. If the man was off his rocker then it's unfortunate he had to be in China of all places. Does sound like a bit of a stretch though. You can always buy your way out in those types of countries if you've got the resources.

G

Living homeless on the streets in Poland prior to traffiking suggests he was not the wealthiest of men.

**Orlanth**

MeanGreenStompa wrote:
As to yachtsmen getting seized by Somali pirates, the Royal Navy should sink a couple of their ships in international waters, might give them pause for thought.

The French show balls, they rescue their countrymen, arresting the pirates with minimum casualties.

The Yanks show thier own version of balls, they do sink a few prates. What this does is get future American hostages shot instead of ransomed. The somalis to their credit have a good record of 1)not shooting hostages and 2) releasing them once paid. Now So0malis are in danger of just shooting amerficans they catch out of vengeance. pushing the red button is not a viable solution to this type of probem.

The Brits show no balls at all, and abandon the hostage to their fate. Despite having arguably the finest special forces on the planet, our servicemen get pissed off about this because they are not even put on standby. Our boys could solve a lot of these situations easy, but abandonment of British citizens abroad has beedn policy since 1997, New Labour only cares about itself.

MeanGreenStompa wrote:
The rich and stupid sailing into Iranian waters just boggles my brain.

It looks that way, Iran is not a yaghting destination for the sane. Bu Iran owns a number of islands right in the middle of the Gulf, and is very agressive in policing them. The last lot to be picked up, and most before knew where they were but were caught by the tides. Some vessels captured were taken outside Iranian waters and only briefly strayed in. technically thast is piracy.

To put this in perspective, the big 'toursit tap' is the isle of Sirri, which is just off the coast of the city of Dubai. Google map it you can see the world islands palm tree islands etc in the same map as an island which is Iranian territory with an airbase on it. Sirri and Abu-musa also claimed by Iran is really close to busy waterways, 'blocks' the entrance to Dubai, is a tidal nexus, so anything relying on sail or with dead engines has a very good chance of getting within 12 nautical miles and the Iranians are being jerks about it. Sirri is nowhere near anywhere you would coloquially call the Iranian coast.

What didnt help was that the new namby pamby politically correct officer training techniques has bred a new generation of spineless wimps for the Royal Navy. A few years ago a Royal Navy launch strayed into or near (i dont know which) iranian waters. The Iranians threatened them and the officer broke down like a wet paper bag. The Royal Navy was shocked to the core that an officer broke so quickly under minimal pressure, this is not what RN officers are made of. Just a few weeks larter some Aussies in a boat faced the same treatment. When the Iranians launched their boats to seize them they stood on deck with loaded rifles and refused to cooperate to put it mildly. The Iranians backed down. Between a growing PC dogma infested officer corps and a government without balls that will happily ignore hostages Iran sees blood in the water and seizes Brits on every opportunity.

**Black Blow Fly**

I agree they should certainly be made of stauncher stuff.

As to hte claim about being on the streets of Poland it's hearsay. He could certainly afford all that crank, plus the expense of traveling through Asia. Smells like a rat to me.

G

**ShumaGorath**

Considering the general attitude and outlook of the Chinese government (break the law and die), smuggling drugs into the country must rank as fairly high on the stupidity met

Funny then how such crimes are increasing in frequency, as are many forms of civil unrest. Chinas not immune to the eventual effects of overt oppression.

Between a growing PC dogma infested officer corps and a government without balls that will happily ignore hostages Iran sees blood in the water and seizes Brits on every opportunity.

Something to take up with your own government for sure. Keep in mind they were released rather expediently.

**MeanGreenStompa**

Green Blow Fly wrote:I agree they should certainly be made of stauncher stuff.

As to hte claim about being on the streets of Poland it's hearsay. He could certainly afford all that crank, plus the expense of traveling through Asia. Smells like a rat to me.

G

He didn't own the gak he was carrying man. People who can afford that much don't carry it, they get mules like our dead friend here to take all the risk.

**Cane**

Talk about a bad publicity situation.

If the Brit was mentally ill and his family knew about it:

1. Where's the medical evidence for it?

2. Why the hell didn't the family try to help him before he started living on the streets in Poland and then somehow moving into China?

I'm no expert on the Chinese justice system but their reputation leaves a lot to be desired and instances like these seem pretty rushed and poorly done. Extraditing "your own" seems like something every country aims to do in these kind of situations just how Italy tried that one young American woman for murder. We can't trust "their" justice system I suppose.

But having lived in Korea I definitely agree that there seems to be a huge stigma against drugs in an Asian country and offenders receive serious punishments no matter if you're a citizen or not.

**Hawkins**

What is known is that the man attempted to enter china with 9 pounds of herion.
pleas for clemency failed and he was executed heath issues or no...

weather he was guilty or not doesnt matter, he seams to have been cured of both his mental illness and his need for drug trafficing.
RIP

**avantgarde**

Jeez the Chinese overreacted again. It's not like the British government forced the Chinese to accept large amounts of narcotics in the past, and the Chinese totally wouldn't be bitter about that, if in fact it had happened.

Srs: Not saying what the Chinese government was right, but I can understand why they're not to keen on leniency toward a drug smuggler at the request of the British government.

**Empchild**

Personally I think that china still harbours resentment. Lets look at historical facts, the British empire well before the Boxer rebellion was illegally smuggling opium(however it is spelled) into china for what would eventually be the first technical drug war of the modern era. The chiniese are a very prideful and cultural people, and like many of that type they hold grudges for a very long time. Now all that said the man was in his 50's so ya he knew better I mean lets call a spade a spade here peeps. He definately wasn't carrying that much for a medicinal use so ya drug smuggling. COME ON if he didn't want to get caught their are tons of south american women who hide that stuff in their chests. Not trying to sound racist, but thats the truth. Should China have killed him without a actual trial well thats not for me to decide, as well I'm from the states, and believe me sometimes I wish we would hurry the trials up and not waste money onmillions of appeals, but that is the way of our legal system. No matter which way you cut the pie this guy carried a ton of heavy narcotics over MULTIPLE(think about it) international bourders so ya he is extremely guilty. mental condition or not all people even "special" learn at a young age the difference between right and wrong, and who are we to try and govern another nations laws.

**avantgarde**

So Chinese people are dwarfs? I mean they're short, prideful and bear grudges.

**Albatross**

I have no opinion on this. The fact that he was a British citizen is of absolutely no consequence to me - if you enter a nation's sovereign territory and break the law whilst there, you should expect to face their version of 'justice', however crude. End of. Steal something in Saudi Arabia - get your hand chopped off. Commit adultery in Dubai - go to jail. Their country, their law.

For me it's just another reason not to travel to gak-hole countries.

**Relapse**

Good, if he was guilty, one less drug smuggler in the world.

**Orlanth**

Empchild wrote:Personally I think that china still harbours resentment.

If anything they are saying dont try to influence us, you cant.

Empchild wrote:Lets look at historical facts,.

Lets not, the Chinese dont think that way for a start unless they are playing to an audience, and there is no audience to play to at the level they play on.

Empchild wrote: the British empire well before the Boxer rebellion was illegally smuggling opium(however it is spelled) into china for what would eventually be the first technical drug war of the modern era.

You offer the UK a backhanded compliment. All so often the British is judged by modern standards for actions centuries ago, no other country is judged that way yet modern justice appears to be the yardstick to which the British Empire and that alone is measured. The opium wars were in the early half of the nineteenth century. A lot of bad gak happened then, i dont want to soil the thread with comparisons, but you will find everyone up to stuff that would be unacceptable in the late 20th and early 21st century. They were racist, like everyone else, sexists, like everyone else, land grabbers, like everyone else, conducted trade by force, like everyone else.

China has a realistic opinion of this, after all they were playing the old game much more recently than most other nations. Are the methodolgies for the takeover of Tibet fine if the victims are Africans in a European colony, or Native American tribes?

**Relapse**

Orlanth wrote:
You offer the UK a backhanded compliment. All so often the British is judged by modern standards for actions centuries ago, no other country is judged that way yet modern justice appears to be the yardstick to which the British Empire and that alone is measured. The opium wars were in the early half of the nineteenth century. A lot of bad gak happened then, i dont want to soil the thread with comparisons, but you will find everyone up to stuff that would be unacceptable in the late 20th and early 21st century. They were racist, like everyone else, sexists, like everyone else, land grabbers, like everyone else, conducted trade by force, like everyone else.

China has a realistic opinion of this, after all they were playing the old game much more recently than most other nations. Are the methodolgies for the takeover of Tibet fine if the victims are Africans in a European colony, or Native American tribes?

Everybody gets butt hurt about something and can take it to extremes. We have some black people in the U.S. still asking for slavery reparations and the American Indian tribes talk about how the white man came and took over everything. The thing that gets overlooked is the fact that rival tribes in Africa would sell each other's members to slave traders and the various tribes in the U.S. were fighting and each other and taking ech others land for centuries before white men showed up. After white men came, certain tribes would help them against rivals.

**Orlanth**

Exactly Relapse, which is why that type of historical comparison is unhelpful. besdies not even relevat as Chinese governemnt is not wired that way. some Chinese might be, but I doubt many. They reserve what bile they have for the Japanese, those who remember and in the few provinces effected, and that is largely irrelevant as Chinese public opinion is largely irrelevant to the Chinese state.

Anyway back to today. The news just now says Gordon Brown is 'distressed and disappointed' over the execution of Akmal Shaikh if that is the case he can get 'distressed and disappointed' over the extradition case of Gary McKinnon then. Except that he isnt. Gary McKinnon is mentally ill, is not a drug smuggler or doing anything 'evil', just a hacker who caused egg on the faces of the Pentagon, and is otherwise harmless. You could argue that he did the US military a favour by breaking securty to look for UFO coverups. Unlike the drug smuggler Gordon Brown can do something about this one, and woukld have public support in the UK. Will he? No.

**Relapse**

@Orlanth,

It would have been better for me to say, there will always be people that get butt hurt about something in their people's history who take it to extremes.

Did the old Opium trade have anything to do with this execution? Hard to say, really, not being privy to the whole process behind the decision.

In any case, however the decision was made, I think it was an excellent call.

**Empchild**

Orlanth wrote:Exactly Relapse, which is why that type of historical comparison is unhelpful. besdies not even relevat as Chinese governemnt is not wired that way. some Chinese might be, but I doubt many. They reserve what bile they have for the Japanese, those who remember and in the few provinces effected, and that is largely irrelevant as Chinese public opinion is largely irrelevant to the Chinese state.

Anyway back to today. The news just now says Gordon Brown is 'distressed and disappointed' over the execution of Akmal Shaikh if that is the case he can get 'distressed and disappointed' over the extradition case of Gary McKinnon then. Except that he isnt. Gary McKinnon is mentally ill, is not a drug smuggler or doing anything 'evil', just a hacker who caused egg on the faces of the Pentagon, and is otherwise harmless. You could argue that he did the US military a favour by breaking securty to look for UFO coverups. Unlike the drug smuggler Gordon Brown can do something about this one, and woukld have public support in the UK. Will he? No.

I think you are misunderstand my point. History plays into anything as well at any point one small change makes a big one. Also the boxer rebellion was what between 1898 and 1901(wikipedia) which would make that part of the early 20th century. As stated we still here in the state have people erquesting reperations for what my ancestors did to theirs. Now all of this I know isn't right, but I think and not sure which one of you said this a correct belief that the chinies are quick to shoot down british requests. Hell what year did you guys give up hong kong? I think weather we admit it or not their is still resentment factors that could COULD COULD COULD have played in with their quick decision. No matter what though HE BROKE THE LAW!!!!!!!!!!!

**Orlanth**

Empchild wrote:
I think you are misunderstand my point. History plays into anything as well at any point one small change makes a big one. Also the boxer rebellion was what between 1898 and 1901(wikipedia) which would make that part of the early 20th century. As stated we still here in the state have people erquesting reperations for what my ancestors did to theirs. Now all of this I know isn't right, but I think and not sure which one of you said this a correct belief that the chinies are quick to shoot down british requests. Hell what year did you guys give up hong kong? I think weather we admit it or not their is still resentment factors that could COULD COULD COULD have played in with their quick decision.

You have a lot of crossed wires. The Opium Wars between the British and Chinese and consequent lease of Hong Kong and Boxer rebellion were seperated by some fifty years.

Empchild wrote:
No matter what though HE BROKE THE LAW!!!!!!!!!!!

You misunderstand yet again. I have no problem with this particular application of justice. Drug smuggler with a large load, he deserved what he got. If it was a few grams I could see your point of view that the sentence was loaded but 4kg is a lot of drugs, a major import for which you face maximum penalty in most countries. If that is death in China its death. I am suprised this has not happened before, China must have been surprisingly lenient in the past. I doubt he is the first major drug bust they had involving a foreigner.

**Empchild**

gotcha on the opium wars, and I agree he got what he deserved. Honestly if people think he didnt well I don't know what to say except: ARE THEY NUTS!!!!!!!!

**ShumaGorath**

I think you are misunderstand my point. History plays into anything as well at any point one small change makes a big one. Also the boxer rebellion was what between 1898 and 1901(wikipedia) which would make that part of the early 20th century.

Actually after the cultural revolution, the rise of imperial communist china pretty much forgot that kind of crap. They really don't care, they just want people to respect their state sovereignty.

As stated we still here in the state have people erquesting reperations for what my ancestors did to theirs.

Well a request for reparations is more often than not paramount to a request for an apology. Meet the family, discuss what happened, and lose the bad blood. The media makes reparations out to be something like a "free payday because my great grandad was a slave" when realistically it's a solemn and understanding affair between two families.

Now all of this I know isn't right, but I think and not sure which one of you said this a correct belief that the chinies are quick to shoot down british requests.

They are quick to shoot down requests from every nation (obsession with national sovereignty and all). They just happen to have roughly 18 times the British population and the british asked for the extradition of a capital offender. Not sure where the British complex comes in, but they wouldn't of likely agreed to such a request for any nation outside of the U.S. or north korea.

Hell what year did you guys give up hong kong? I think weather we admit it or not their is still resentment factors that could COULD COULD COULD have played in with their quick decision.

It's certainly possible, but it's exceedingly unlikely. There isn't a particular stigma towards the english in china any more (they reserve that for korea and japan).

**Black Blow Fly**

MeanGreenStompa wrote:
Green Blow Fly wrote:I agree they should certainly be made of stauncher stuff.

As to hte claim about being on the streets of Poland it's hearsay. He could certainly afford all that crank, plus the expense of traveling through Asia. Smells like a rat to me.

G

He didn't own the gak he was carrying man. People who can afford that much don't carry it, they get mules like our dead friend here to take all the risk.

crank is pure evil. To me it does not matter if he owned it or not.

G

**Gwar!**

TBH, there is always a cry of "He is not fit for trial" whenever anyone does anything.

He committed a crime. The nation he was in performed it's punishment. If he didn't want to be executed, he shouldn't have smuggled drugs. End of Discussion.