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Akmal Shaikh: China has failed to live up to its civilised aspirations
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/georgepitcher/100020842/china-must-spare-akmal-shaikh-or-face-serious-consequences/
By George Pitcher UK Last updated: December 28th, 2009
(This post has been updated following Akmal Shaikh’s execution)
At 2.30 this morning, on our fifth day of Christmas, the People’s Republic of China executed the British subject, Akmal Shaikh, after a last plea for clemency failed.
Mr Shaikh was so obviously mentally ill, so clearly had no grasp of what he was doing when he was caught acting as a drug mule by the Chinese authorities and was so clearly incapable of conducting any meaningful self-representation at his trial that the lethal injection (as an alternative to the bullet in the head) he received was not only just another hideous Chinese execution, but also a disgusting and reprehensible miscarriage of justice.
Mr Shaikh’s death doubtless will be of little consequence to the Chinese authorities, who put some 1,700 people to death during the past year alone. The scale of this judicial murdering machine is difficult to grasp and even puts the United States to shame.
But Mr Shaikh was a British citizen and the first EU national to be executed in China for half a century. That means our Government should have had some influence to bring to bear for once on China’s barbaric judicial practice.
We are long past gunboat diplomacy. But the EU, if it is to mean anything on the world stage, must condemn the Chinese government in the strongest possible terms and impose trade sanctions that are significant and hurtful, until China brings its legislature into line with European criminal sentencing.
China is the world’s third largest economy and aspires to take a respectable place on the international stage and in global trade. Beijing must know, today and unequivocally, that putting to death a mentally ill man in possession of a British passport is no way to go about its civilising aspirations.
Tags: Akmal Shaikh, capital punishment, china, death penalty
 COMMENTS
I doubt the EU has the capability to impose any consequences that the Chinese would take seriously. That’s a reflection both of the high bar for what the Chinese take seriously and the low resolve of the EU to take a concerted decision to stand up to China. But then, given that the current US President was unable to keep his commitment to meet with the Dalai Lama at the White House for fear of offending our Chinese creditors, human rights in China seems to be a low-priority topic these days.
stuiec on Dec 28th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
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Makes you long for the days of Palmerston, doesn’t it?
johnlocke on Dec 28th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
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As much as I think the sentence is very harsh for the crime unfortunately he committed the offense in China where he knew the laws are extremely harsh. If our government can have Gary McKinnon extradited to face trail in a US court and he is almost certainly autistic why do you think they will care about this guy. It’s bad for trade so don’t get your hopes up.
crownarmourer on Dec 28th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
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Let’s hope the Chinese continue to have the courage of their convictions.
The sooner we reintroduce the death penalty here in the UK, the sooner we can start to remove the issues around the loss of a civil society with suitable penalities for criminals – insane or otherwise – for the benefit of our society.
This blog is the biggest waste of space – Mr Pitcher, your liberal views paint a picture of you that is far from flattering.
I have the utmost faith in the Chinese Government’s ability to remove the criminal scum from society (although they can at times be a little harsh) and I would like to extend my thanks to them in advance.
It is a pity Mr Johnson is not so concerned about the white, middle class, British Subject, who is not being given the full weight of the British civil service or Government calling for clemency from our trusted friends in America.
Shame on our British Government for it’s hypocrisy – do aliens on databases seem more serious than 4kg’s of herion on our streets and the issues around the social implications of this.
incensed on Dec 28th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
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heroin, not heroin  …
Crownarmourer: I think you meant ‘fortunately’ that he committed the offence in China.
incensed on Dec 28th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
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Exactly what consequences is Britain or the UK capable of levying on China?
On another note, for 2007, the countries with the most executions were, in order of numbers of execution: China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and then the US. So what you should have said, is that China’s numbers of executions even put IRAN to shame.
Bu on U on Dec 28th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
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Excuse me, those were for 2008. For 2007, Pakistan was also ahead of the US.
Bu on U on Dec 28th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
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Well I wonder if they will bill his family for the bullet, and I wonder where they will sell his organs to.
Very practical people the Chinese.
crownarmourer on Dec 28th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
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These cross-cultural difficulties are a pain, aren’t they? I suspect that we will not have to wait long before our home-grown ones pose problems.
It is interesting to reflect that even ‘nice’ countries (such as ours) have no difficulty in putting to death enemies of our state, provided that such enemies are foreign and especially if they wear a foreign soldier’s uniform. No questions need be asked about the foreigner’s state of mind. On the other hand, we balk at killing an enemy of our state who is of our own nationality.
Jamie MacNab on Dec 28th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
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1700 executions per year for a population of 1,4 billion people sounds rather moderate ? This guy was trafficking 4 kilos of heroin – it takes less than 2 grams of heroin for an pretty 15 year old blonde English girl to overdose and die ; with the 4 kilos of heroin this man trafficked it could have led to the drug enslavement and deaths of up to 2000 youngsters. What is the real crime here ? Killing one trafficker or killing 2000 young people and condemning them to a life of heroin enslavement and prostitution ?
Johan de Meulemeester on Dec 28th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
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“China must spare Akmal Shaikh or face serious consequences”
So what are going to do, George?
Send them a fixed penalty notice?
In a brown envelope, naturally.
Catweazle on Dec 28th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
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If the English want to save the life of their heroin traficker I think a fair deal would be for China to send him back to England along with 1000 Chinese heroin junkies so the English taxpayers can put them all on their books in England and pay for the lifetime care of their heroin addictions.
Johan de Meulemeester on Dec 28th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
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Ok George, wage another Opium War. This time, we Americans won’t save your ass.
starr on Dec 28th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
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To crownarmourer:
I guess some rich people from UK or USA may be waiting for his organ, right?
Above all, only rich hypocrite can offord that.
shamehypocrisy on Dec 28th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
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To plead clemency for grave criminals are very shameful.
to anyone that try to show such “mercy”, have you ever consider the grevinance this infliated by this kind of criminal acts on other’s civilian’s family and life?
Anyone “pretend” to show “mery” to grave criminals are accomplice of those trashy crimals.
shamehypocrisy on Dec 28th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
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Ok, so here is this arrogant anglo-threat that China “must” spare this drug traffiker???!!!…..so what if China does not? You want to start another Opium War? This time, I am pretty sure the result will be very very different. Maybe China can avenge the insult of the old Opium War finally! Be careful with your threats, sick sick lion!
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Its, live, Shaikh, 电讯, 英国, Its, live, Shaikh, 电讯, 英国, Its, live, Shaikh, 电讯, 英国
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