China: Family of Condemned British Man Pleads for Amnesty

In China, a British man is scheduled to be executed on Tuesday. His family has traveled there to appeal for his life.

Father of three, Akmal Shaikh was convicted of carrying almost 9 pounds of heroin through the Urumqi Airport in September 2007.

Chinese authorities have already rejected an appeal from British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to spare Shaikh’s life.

His family says he has a history of mental illness, and may suffer from bipolar disorder.

Shaikh’s cousin and brother are appealing to the court for a mental health evaluation.

They also intend to deliver pleas to Chinese leader Hu Jintao and the country’s legislature.

British legal-aid group Reprieve says two men tricked Shaikh into smuggling heroin into China. They had told him they could help him launch his pop music career, which Shaikh believed would usher in world peace.

A psychological report commissioned by Reprieve found that Shaikh’s actions were, quote, “most likely influenced by some form of delusional psychosis.”

The Chinese regime executes more people than any other country in the world. According to Amnesty International, in 2008 the regime executed at least 1700 people.

(NTDTV)