Death row Briton's family ask China for mercy
Updated on 28 December 2009
The family of a British man due to be executed in China within the next 24 hours have delivered a last-minute appeal for mercy. Julian Rush reports.
Akmal Shaikh, who has been sentenced to death for drug smuggling, was told of his fate earlier today.
His two cousins were allowed to visit him in his cell on death row - the first contact he has had with his relatives since he was arrested two years ago.
Downing Street said Britain would continue to do everything within its power to secure clemency. Mr Shaikh's family argue that he is mentally ill.
Two cousins of Akmal Shaikh, 53, delivered the news to him in person at a jail in Urumqi, capital of western China's Xinjiang province.
"He was obviously very upset on hearing from us of the sentence that was passed. We strongly feel that he's not rational and he needs medication," said Soohail Shaikh in a statement released by human rights charity Reprieve.
The execution was set for 10:30am (0230 GMT) on Tuesday. Reprieve said he would be the first European to be put to death in China since 1951.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has asked China not to execute Pakistan-born Shaikh. While unlikely to cause a diplomatic rift, the case could harden British public opinion against China.
"The government has raised its concerns, made clear our opposition to the death penalty, and requested a full mental health assessment," a Downing Street spokesman said.
Shaikh's defenders say he is delusional and was tricked into smuggling 4kg (9lb) of heroin by a gang who promised to make him a pop star.
Arrested in 2007, a Chinese court rejected his final appeal on 21 December. Reprieve posted on the internet a recording Shaikh made of his song, Come Little Rabbit, which it described as "dreadful" but which he believed would be an international hit and help bring about world peace.
Shaikh's family says he has bipolar disorder. "We feel that Akmal's reported history of irrational behaviour can only be attributed to a mental imbalance which we would hope merits a re-evaluation of his case," his cousins said at Beijing airport.
"We beg the Chinese authorities for mercy and clemency to help reunite the heartbroken family."
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said last week: "The case has been processed in accordance with the law... The defendant's litigation rights and legitimate treatment have been fully granted."
