Well done China...

[Parmo]

How poor of a nation to execute a mentally ill man, I find it astounding they have done this. If anyone heard Akmal Shaikh's rabbit song on the news they will have heard how barmey he was.

RIP Akmal Shaikh

 

[Chrimbo]

When I heard this morning it made me feel sick .... how can any country that considers itself civilised carry out such a barbaric act.

 

[madandra]

They only claaim to be civilised for marketing purposes. They are ruled by fear and exterminated at th slightest offence.

 

[Parmo]

That said I have since read he didnt have any medical records showing his illness.

Anyone know where Ping make their clubs?

 

[bobmac]

That said I have since read he didnt have any medical records showing his illness.

Anyone know where Ping make their clubs?

In America

 

[CliveW]

That said I have since read he didnt have any medical records showing his illness.

Anyone know where Ping make their clubs?

In America

...who also have the death penalty.

 

[Parmo]

Better not smuggle irons in then

 

[USER1999]

Countries like China, and Indonesia have made it very clear, over a period of decades, that drug smuggling carries the death penalty. Why are we suprised when they carry it out?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

A dictorial and oppressive country that presents a facade of accepting Westernisation. It has appalling human rights records. Interesting that in the appeal to this case the judges chose not to even check the medical reports offered at the first trial indicating the defendants mental state and ignored them out of hand. Seems that letting the facts get in the way of a huge publicity coup for the government was a small price to pay for a mans life

 

[JustOne]

On 12 September 2007, Akmal Shaikh flew into Urumqi, in north west China, from Dushanbe, in Tajikistan. Akmal states that he went to China in the hope of launching a pop career.

Yeh right, and I'm a Chinaman

 

[drawboy]

Would we have the massive drug and crime problems that we have in our so called civilised society if we had the same policy. I think not. I do not condone what China has done I do however respect the fact that they clearly set out their laws and have the backbone to carry them out when they think they are justified.Rightly or wrongly it is their law.

 

[Atticus_Finch]

Are we meant to start feeling sorry for drug smugglers now? I have a friend with Bipolar disorder and he has frequent highs and lows. He is one of the brightest people I know but his condition does not cloud his moral judgment. Even if this guy did have this condition (which I doubt) he knew exactly what he was doing and the risks involved.
I won't lose a wink of sleep tonight because there's one more dead drug dealer.

 

[birdieman]

Gotta agree with the above 2 posters, possible depression is not madness, the guy gambled with serious criminal behaviour and lost.

The old 'I'm mad so let me off' excuse is rolled out too often in the UK imo.

Our soldiers are dying in Afghanistan fighting an enemy funded by heroin production. 4 kg is a huge amount of drugs to 'accidentally' find its way into your luggage. I don't believe this guy was innocent for a second.

Think Brown was daft to threaten relations with China over a serious criminal.

He is the first EU citizen to be executed by China since 1951 for drug crime, they're hardly making a habit of it.

UK is far too soft on crime and everyone knows it.

 

[Dave3498]

Are we to assume that this man had private means that allowed him to fly from UK to Poland, and thence to China and support himself at these places, at the same time suffering mental disorder. I think not. There is a lot more to this story than we have been given. He wasn't just asked to carry a suitcase through Chinese customs. He was a drug smuggler hoping to gain from other peoples distress and he paid the price.

 

[Imurg]

You have to say that if he was as mentally ill as they say should he have been "free" to get on a plane in the first place?

Even if he was having a low period he should have been able to work out that he was doing wrong.

Sorry if it upsets anyone but as others have said - I think he knew what he was doing and he's paid the price. The Chinese - like it or not - make it quite clear what punishments are due.

 

[RGDave]

I'm confused was the O.P. suggesting it was a good/bad thing or is there a hint of sarcasm in title.

I'm on the fence a little, I must say.

In principle, I approve of harsh punishment...am I pro the death penalty?.....absolutely, in certain circumstances.

 

[Dodger]

Who gives a toss? Another dealer/traffiker gone.We would be do well to have the same policy here.

I can't believe there were a group of knobs who spent the night having a vigil for him in the freezing cold....granted if they actually knew the fella but I am willing to bet they didny know him from Adam...get a grip!

 

[stevek1969]

Another misery peddlar gone ,good ridance ,he new the risks then tried the mental problems cards, no luck bud you got what you deserved.I've seen the effects of what that crap can do on people who i went to school with and there just zombies that dont no what day it is and would sell there gran for a hit.

 

[algar5]

Who gives a toss? Another dealer/traffiker gone.We would be do well to have the same policy here.

I can't believe there were a group of knobs who spent the night having a vigil for him in the freezing cold....granted if they actually knew the fella but I am willing to bet they didny know him from Adam...get a grip!

Dodger - Well Said ! You won't find any arguements here.

 

[Ethan]

Gotta agree with the above 2 posters, possible depression is not madness,

The old 'I'm mad so let me off' excuse is rolled out too often in the UK imo.

You are wrong.

Like the other 2 posters, you appear to be ignorant about the features of depression, which can lead to a psychotic delusional illness where the patient loses all touch with reality, and therefore lacks mental and legal capacity for their actions.

However, such cases are rare, and a mental illness defence is not used very often to acquit. When it is used by the defence, the defendant sometimes ends up in Broadmoor or Rampton or some such place. Not exactly a picnic.

The fact that a 54 year old man thought he could embark on a pop career must indicate some detachment from the real world.

I don't know if this man would meet the legal standard for such a defence under UK law, but I am damn sure you know nothing about the issues.