Akmal Shaikh......the bringer of world peace....or is he?

[Tubby Beaver 209]

another silly sausage (albeit one who reportedly has mental problems) duped into smuggling drugs.....

 

Quote:

A British man said to be suffering from bipolar disorder is set to be executed in China for smuggling heroin.

 

Akmal Shaikh due to be executed in China

 

Father of three Akmal Shaikh lived in Kentish Town, London

 

North Londoner Akmal Shaikh, 51, suffers from delusions as part of his condition according to legal charity Reprieve.

 

Reprieve says Mr Shaikh travelled to China to get a record contract for a song he had written which he believed would usher in world peace.

 

The father of three was targeted by a gang of drug dealers who saw him as someone who could be easily manipulated, the charity said on its website.

 

The gang apparently promised to help him record his song and travelled to the airport with him on the pretence of catching a flight.

 

But, when they arrived, the leader of the gang reportedly told Mr Shaikh there was only one seat left on board, and asked him if he would take his suitcase for him when he flew.

 

Mr Shaikh was arrested in Urumqi in China's western Xinjiang region in possession of 4kg of heroin.

 

He said he did not know the drug was in the bag and appealed against his conviction.

 

Gordon Brown

 

PM contacted Chinese authorities

 

Gordon Brown has spoken to Chinese authorities urging them to take Mr Shaikh's mental health into account when considering the appeal.

 

But the appeal has been rejected and Mr Shaikh's execution looks set to go ahead.

 

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We can confirm that Chinese authorities have informed us that Akmal Shaikh is due to be executed on 29 December. We are alarmed and deeply concerned at this news."

 

A medical report from Dr Peter Schaapveld, a forensic psychologist, said it was very likely that Mr Shaikh's strange behaviour would have been "influenced or caused by" a mental illness.

 

Mr Shaikh would become the first EU national to be executed in China in 50 years.

[Go Native 70]

Didn't notice 4kg extra weight in his bag? Yeah right!

[RobBright 35]

China doesn't recognize mental health problems, does it?

[thursday 1]

As an excuse to avoid responsibility? Maybe not.

[thursday 1]

Far more have forsaken their lives for far less.

 

Just don't do it.

 

And if you're mental?

 

Just don't go to China, you mental freaks.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

and he has been executed

 

Quote:

A British man convicted of drug smuggling in China has been executed, the Foreign Office has confirmed.

 

Akmal Shaikh, 53, a father-of-five from London, had denied any wrongdoing and his family said he was mentally ill.

 

The execution took place despite repeated calls from his family and the British government for clemency.

 

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was "appalled and disappointed". Mr Shaikh's family thanked those who had tried to help.

 

Mr Shaikh is the first EU national to be executed in China in 50 years.

 

British diplomatic sources say it is likely he died by lethal injection.

 

His body will not be repatriated to the UK, but as a Muslim he will be buried within 24 hours.

 

Mr Shaikh's family said he suffered from bipolar disorder.

 

They said he had been delusional and duped into a carrying a suitcase that did not belong to him when he was found with 4kg of heroin in Urumqi, north-west China, in September 2007.

 

In a statement, Mr Brown said: "I condemn the execution of Akmal Shaikh in the strongest terms, and am appalled and disappointed that our persistent requests for clemency have not been granted.

 

"I am particularly concerned that no mental health assessment was undertaken.

 

"At this time our thoughts are with Mr Shaikh's family and friends and I send them our sincere condolences."

 

'Inadequate interpretation'

 

Foreign Secretary David Miliband also condemned the execution.

 

He said the UK was opposed to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances, but also "deeply regretted" that his specific concerns in this case, including "mental health issues, and inadequate professional interpretation" had been ignored.

 

 

CHINA DEATH PENALTY

China executed 1,718 people in 2008, according to Amnesty International

Last year 72% of the world's total executions took place in China, the charity estimates

It applies to 60 offences, including non-violent crimes such as tax fraud and embezzlement

Those sentenced to death are usually shot, but some provinces are introducing lethal injections

 

The legal charity Reprieve had taken up Mr Shaikh's case for the family.

 

Through the charity, the family issued a statement thanking all those who tried to help including Reprieve, the Foreign Office, those who attended a vigil outside the Chinese embassy in London, and the organisers of a Facebook group calling for clemency.

 

They asked for privacy "as they come to terms with what has happened to someone they loved".

 

Katherine O'Shea, Reprieve's communications director, said it was "devastated" Mr Shaikh had been killed.

 

"That such a thing can happen in this day and age is really something that should alarm all of us," she said.

 

"This guy was a very vulnerable person, extremely ill. He slipped through the cracks of society, and he was frankly failed by China and by their legal system. And it's an absolute disgrace that he should have been killed."

[RobBright 35]

Another reason for me not to go to china.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

I've often warned you about the dangers of travelling with heroin in your bags...

[spacefrog 0]

I wonder which organ/s was an exact match for which high ranking chinese official/s or family.

[RobBright 35]

Indeed - at least they could have given him a fair trial.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

I think this is very sad.

If it is being reported accurately.

 

I know a number of people who would be gullible and so easily led that they would have done the same under the circumstances. These are the weak in our society who need our support, rather than our disregard.

 

While I support integration and having people with special needs 'reach their full potential', this new world order in disabilities has led to numerous people falling through the cracks. The world was a safer and more friendly place for them when there were institutions, care facilities, special schools, etc.

 

If you turned the clock back 20 years this guy would not have been give a passport due to his mental condition. That would have saved his life.

 

I know it is a controversial thing to say - but I see disadvantages that come along with the advantages of the emancipation of disabled people.

[gurgle 0]

Originally Posted By: Mamabear

I think this is very sad.
If it is being reported accurately.

I know a number of people who would be gullible and so easily led that they would have done the same under the circumstances. These are the weak in our society who need our support, rather than our disregard.

While I support integration and having people with special needs 'reach their full potential', this new world order in disabilities has led to numerous people falling through the cracks. The world was a safer and more friendly place for them when there were institutions, care facilities, special schools, etc.

If you turned the clock back 20 years this guy would not have been give a passport due to his mental condition. That would have saved his life.

I know it is a controversial thing to say - but I see disadvantages that come along with the advantages of the emancipation of disabled people.

I can see your point, but surely there have been A LOT of advantages too, like getting to travel and see the world, which a lot of us have been lucky enough to do and would agree that it is one of the greatest things any us us have experienced.

The point here for me is that this very sad episode reminds us that China is a long way back in terms of it's development than a lot of newspapers and economists might have us think, and perhaps it's just unrealistic to expect the rapid change that we would like to see.

[Go Native 70]

I have never thought that China was very developed. They may now allow people to make money, well money for a select few but socially they are still under what is basically one of the most brutal and unforgiving totalitarian regimes on the planet.

[Ringland 0]

I believe that it has been reported that mentally disabled people were being used in Iraq as suicide bombers, i can only thank the very vigilant airport security around the world that these poor unfortunate people dont make their last journey on an aeroplane along with 2 or 3 hundred innocents.

 

Mr Akmal Shaikh who claims to have been duped by some very dodgy people to carry a suitcase.......well this time it only contained Heroin, terrible thought i know but hey whats next.

[RobBright 35]

Originally Posted By: HughJarse

Mr Akmal Shaikh who claims to have been duped by some very dodgy people to carry a suitcase.......well this time it only contained Heroin, terrible thought i know but hey whats next.

dogs.

[JA2340 16]

Originally Posted By: RobBright

Indeed - at least they could have given him a fair trial.

The definition of "fair trial" depends a tiny bit on the country you are in. China has a different definition to that used by Aus (and also UK, US etc, although each of these is different in detail too).

One of my disagreements with the US is their insistence that they have a monopoly on the definitions of "fair" and "democracy" among other terms. GWB did irreparable damage to the world when he insisted that he would determine what "democratic elections" meant in any part of the world, and that he would intervene in any area where the elections were not "free and fair" - especially of there was a load of oil in the ground there!

[Slippery Jim 65]

[[One of my disagreements with the US is their insistence that they have a monopoly on the definitions of "fair" and "democracy" among other terms. GWB did irreparable damage to the world when he insisted that he would determine what "democratic elections" meant in any part of the world, and that he would intervene in any area where the elections were not "free and fair" - especially of there was a load of oil in the ground there!]]

 

I'm sure these statements aren't simply the product of your imagination, and that you have some specific facts to support them. It would be nice to see those specifics, though, lest someone think you're merely another anti-American snob determined to blame all the world's ills on the poor old U.S.

I'm just sayin'...

[Tubby Beaver 209]

I think JA has a point TBH. Take extradition for example, the US and the UK have an extradition treaty in place, which would make sense considering the long cultural and historical ties both countries have. So if a UK national is wanted in connection with a crime in the US then he is extradited to face charges and run through the wheels of US justice system, however this isn't a 2 way street and the US refuses to extradite a US citizen to the UK to face the wheels of British justice....wtf??!! This shows the contempt at which the US (as a government) holds the rest of the world, the UK being its biggest and closest ally and yet it still refuses to play on a level field. TBH I think the UK politicians who signed this deal need to be shot, they should be looking after their citizens first and appeasing the US 2nd.

 

Whats good for the goose, should be good for the gander!!

[RobBright 35]

Indeed - just look at that Gary Mckinnon(?) bloke - the hacker guy.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

yeah...thats who I was thinking about actually

[Slippery Jim 65]

I am not familiar with the terms of extradition agreements between the US & UK, but would certainly agree that all such agreements should be equitable, and I would without reservation support the extradition of an American to the UK if he/she were indicted on criminal charges.

As an American, I expect I have more problems with some aspects of how my nation acts than most of you from other lands. At the same time, I am often amused (and at time annoyed) at comments that are obviously just kneejerk reactions with little or no substance.

One of the ways in which my countrymen most annoy me is how many of them reflexively dump on (insert preferred nationality here) for no good reason. It helps to know that the stupidity is reciprocated.

[JA2340 16]

Originally Posted By: Slippery Jim

I am not familiar with the terms of extradition agreements between the US & UK, but would certainly agree that all such agreements should be equitable, and I would without reservation support the extradition of an American to the UK if he/she were indicted on criminal charges.

But, Jim, the US government seems not to share your point of view (which I applaud, BTW), as reference the above mentioned hacker.

Originally Posted By: Slippery Jim

As an American, I expect I have more problems with some aspects of how my nation acts than most of you from other lands. At the same time, I am often amused (and at time annoyed) at comments that are obviously just kneejerk reactions with little or no substance.
One of the ways in which my countrymen most annoy me is how many of them reflexively dump on (insert preferred nationality here) for no good reason.

The recent "racist" accusations about an Australian advert, intended for viewing by Australians, about KFC at the West Indies cricket match are a case where the US (or people purporting to represent the US) hold forth on a topic that they have no idea about. The inference is that Australia (as a whole) is racist, pure crap!

Originally Posted By: Slippery Jim

It helps to know that the stupidity is reciprocated.

It's a bit rough accusing unnamed persons of stupidity. Who'd you have your eye on?

[Go Native 70]

As far as I'm concerned the biggest problem with the US is it's patriotism/nationalism. I do not believe that patriotism is a good thing for any nation. Why? Because by believing your country is the best in the world you can only do this by comparison with other countries. The better you think you are the more countries you think you're better than. Patriotism is huge in the US, especially with the wars they've been partaking in recently, and so a large portion of the population believe that the US is better than just about all other countries on the planet and Americans are better than all other nationalities. When you think this way it makes it very easy to be dismissive of other countries views and opinions and to be seen as very arrogant.

The US is not alone in this of course. It's just as one of the most powerful nations, economically and militarily, you can throw your weight around more. I definitely saw similar issues in Australia, especially under the previous conservative government who pushed patriotic initiatives throughout the country. Strong patriotism in my opinion leads to all kinds of problems and in history has been a catalist for many attrocities committed by one nation upon another.

[Slippery Jim 65]

JA, just a comment in general; surely you don't think the world lacks for stupidity?

As for that KFC biz, I doubt it has anything to do with Australia, race relations in Australia, Australians (white, black or purple with pink polka dots) or anything other than a large corporation reacting to something done by an affiliate in (forgive me) a relatively small market, that could have major repercussions in its far larger home market given the state of race relations there. In other words, it was likely a decision made on purely domestic considerations.

 

GN, I think there's quite a difference between patriotism (which I would encourage for all people in all nations) and nationalism (which I suspect is really what you're on about, and not necessarily wrongly).

 

Meanwhile, I'm still quite amused at how we wound up blaming George W for the Chinese execution of some dope smuggler**. That particular leap of logic must be based on something taught the day I cut most of my classes.

 

On a far more important topic: Where the hell is the snow at Niseko? Just back tonight from the worst Niseko trip I've ever experienced. Hello...we don't go to Niseko for ice skating! Somebody up there want to wake up and sacrifice a virgin or something.

 

**Even if he was ``tricked'' into it, he still carried in the junk.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Originally Posted By: Slippery Jim

On a far more important topic: Where the hell is the snow at Niseko? Just back tonight from the worst Niseko trip I've ever experienced. Hello...we don't go to Niseko for ice skating! Somebody up there want to wake up and sacrifice a virgin or something.

Not sure there are any virgins up here Jim!
But in response - Yep - I've hit some icy stuff in the last 2 weeks, but I have found way more soft stuff ... maybe continuing to board at Thredbo is actually very very good for me, because anything better than a good day there is awesome and special - and I count every single day out here since the 26th of December AWESOME and SPECIAL. Only place I was ACTUALLY pleased I had been learning to ice skate this year was walking around the village the last 2 days.