Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe
LONDON, England - Britain's government is under fire after drawing criticism from the family of a British citizen for failing to prevent his execution yesterday by the Chinese government.
On December 30, Akmal Shaikh, 53, was executed by lethal injection in China for allegedly smuggling heroin in the city of Urumqi in northwest China in 2007. Mr. Shaikh was a British citizen.
Mr. Shaikh denied knowledge of possessing the drugs. Shaikh's daughter claimed that he had been conned by Polish drug traffickers into believing that he could become a celebrity in China. Mr. Shaikh repeatedly brought claims and provided evidence that he was mentally ill. More specifically, he provided a reports from forensic psychologists in Poland and the UK that diagnosed him with delusional psychosis and bipolar disorder.
Shaikh's family was critical of both the legal proceedings provided by China and the British government's effort to prevent the execution. The family indicated in a letter to the Guardian that the Chinese courts ignored multiple requests for a mental health assessment of Shaikh and otherwise "made a mockery of appeals for clemency".
China has defended the execution. The Chinese Embassy in Britain released a statement that claimed that Shaikh's rights "were properly respected and guaranteed." China also claimed that it gave British concerns and diplomatic outreach adequate consideration.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that he was "appalled and disappointed that our persistent requests for clemency have not been granted". Nonetheless, Britain has indicated that it will not seek resolution of the matter for Mr. Shaikh's family beyond formal criticism of the execution.
This has led Mr. Shaikh's cousins to criticize Britain. In particular, they claim that this episode "is an example of Britain's powerlessness in the world." Moreover, Mr. Shaikh's family accused Britain of hypocritical diplomatic dealings with China, saying that its decision to seek no further action against China is "purely [related to] the fact that China is a powerful country economically."
Britain maintains that it did everything it could through diplomatic outreach. At least 27 attempts were made by various British officials to stop Mr. Shaikh's execution, allegedly.
For more information, please see:
BBC - Akmal Shaikh's family 'outraged' over China execution - 31 December 2009
GUARDIAN - Akmal Shaikh relatives say Britain abandoned him to execution - 31 December 2009
TELEGRAPH - Akmal Shaikh execution leaves Sino-British relations at a low point - 30 December 2009




IW Podcasts
Recent Comments