Mentally ill Briton could be executed on Tuesday

[Skeptic]

Allegedly Shaikh thought he was travelling to China to launch a pop career that would bring world peace.

If that's NOT a reason to kill someone...

 

[pipelineaudio]

Among other possibly delusional moves, Mr Shaikh wrote emails to US and British officials calling himself a millionaire and a messiah. He moved to Poland several years ago, where he intended to set up an airline, which he was in no position to do. While in Warsaw, he wrote the song with a man named Carlos, who said he knew a producer in Kyrgyzstan who could help.

This is fairly typical behaviour of rap hopefuls

 

[calebprime]

"Reprieve says that Shaikh was lured to China by two men who promised to help him to launch a career in pop music by recording a single that would prove a hit and usher in world peace.

A psychological report commissioned by the group says that Shaikh’s actions “were most likely influenced by some form of delusional psychosis”. Family members say that he has a lifelong history of unbalanced behaviour".

Yeah heroin can do that to you.

While i do support a liberal use of the Death penalty, perhaps executing drug smugglers is to extreme? And no i wouldn't care to much if he was a Swede.



Is there some sort of law in China that prohibits the execution of insane people, retards or etc. ?

on retards:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCdwJBkKv2k


These comments are intended to be jackasstistic, aren't they?

Heroin doesn't make you delusional.

It doesn't make you write horrible music like that.

Made it to :25 myself, couldn't take any more.

No, he's the real deal--truly ill.

 

[INRM]

If Akmal Shaikh is mentally ill, he should not be executed.

While I am not opposed to the death-penalty in its entirety, I think it is absolutely absurd to execute a person for drug-possession. Sadly, China and Singappore both execute people for drug possession, which in my opinion, constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.


INRM

 

[Undesired Walrus]

More information:

Legal charity Reprieve has been working on the case with Mr Shaikh's family.

The organisation has collected witness statements from people who knew Mr Shaikh while he was sleeping rough in Poland.

The witnesses all say Mr Shaikh was clearly mentally disturbed and was fixated on recording a song that he believed would usher in world peace.

Reprieve's director Clive Stafford Smith said: "While it must be torture for Akmal going through this, the last-minute nature of this evidence is an example of why there must always be last-minute clemency."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8432948.stm

He has less than five hours to live. He will be the first EU national put to death in China in 50 years.

 

[scissorhands]

If Akmal Shaikh is mentally ill, he should not be executed.

While I am not opposed to the death-penalty in its entirety, I think it is absolutely absurd to execute a person for drug-possession. Sadly, China and Singappore both execute people for drug possession, which in my opinion, constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.


INRM

Possessing 4kg of heroin doesnt constitute "drug-possession", at least not in the UK.
That kind of amount is dealt with as a "trafficking" offence, and entails many, many years behind bars.
Other countries save money on prison bills, by execution.

 

[commandlinegamer]

Possessing 4kg of heroin doesnt constitute "drug-possession", at least not in the UK.
That kind of amount is dealt with as a "trafficking" offence, and entails many, many years behind bars.
Other countries save money on prison bills, by execution.

True, but if he's mentally ill in the UK at least he has the chance of a treatment other than that of a bullet to the back of the head.

 

[scissorhands]

True, but if he's mentally ill in the UK at least he has the chance of a treatment other than that of a bullet to the back of the head.

Unlucky for him that he chose to traffic 4kg of heroin to China then.
Tales of being duped into it due to mental illness, clearly dont work over there.

 

[Puppycow]

Won't every drug smuggler come up with excuses when caught?
Won't their family also come up with excuses?

How do we know that he was really "duped by a criminal gang into carrying a suitcase for them"?

ETA: Last time I got on a plane, they asked me if I personally packed my own luggage and had it in my possession and control the whole time.

 

[Undesired Walrus]

Won't every drug smuggler come up with excuses when caught?
Won't their family also come up with excuses?

A fair question. But what's the harm in delaying the execution and carrying out a psychiatric review -something the Chinese authorities haven't done- given the history of his bizarre behaviour? We're talking about a Human life here.

Do you deny his behaviour has indicated mental instability?

 

[shuize]

How did he get a british passport to travel overseas if he has mental health issues?

If "mental health issues" were sufficient reason to deny a passport, I think the entire English teaching profession in Asia would collapse faster than an Italian government.

Sadly, China and Singappore both execute people for drug possession, which in my opinion, constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

You know one very good way to avoid such a punishment?

Let me give you a hint: It involves not doing something in either of those respective countries.

 

[Undesired Walrus]

Let me give you a hint: It involves not doing something in either of those respective countries.

No doubt. That doesn't make it right to execute people for it though.

 

[Raconteur]

The 'well he shouldn't have had the drugs if he didn't want to be executed' defence is stupid. The punishment does not fit the crime. There are lots of things that people shouldn't do, but that doesn't mean they should be killed for them. Although I suppose that's another debate. I don't see the harm in ordering a mental health evaluation in this case.

 

[shuize]

No doubt. That doesn't make it right to execute people for it though.

Simple possession, maybe. With respect to trafficking, I'm not so sure. Especially given how some of the more serious drugs can ruin so many lives and all the social problems that follow. Not to mention China's history with foreign opium dealers (something British drug traffickers might want to take particular note of before carting kilos of herion into that country).

Personally, if China and Singapore (and other like minded nations) give fair warning and say, "You bring that **** here, we will execute you" I don't really have a problem with it.

I grow weary of foreign drug smugglers who knew the risk (and thus potential big profits) of smuggling drugs into one of the death penalty countries and then try to fall back on the "Oh, you can't execute me, I'm British, American, Australian, etc. -- Where I come from that's not civilized" line when they discover that no, the silly natives weren't joking.

 

[Brainster]

Am I the only one wondering why "bipolar disorder" is being used as an excuse? Somebody who's bipolar (used to be called manic-depressive) is not necessarily a simpleton; it's not the same thing as being retarded, by any means.

The song is very weird indeed, but reflects some basic musical ability. It's not like listening to the Shaggs, but more like Bjork.

 

[popscythe]

He was definitely going to make a bunch of money on the heroin, and then come back saying what a great chinese pop star he is. Sometimes you bring the horse, and sometimes the chinese government bites you.

 

[Puppycow]

A fair question. But what's the harm in delaying the execution and carrying out a psychiatric review -something the Chinese authorities haven't done- given the history of his bizarre behaviour? We're talking about a Human life here.

Do you deny his behaviour has indicated mental instability?

I suppose he probably is mentally unstable.

The key to me is, was he really duped, or did he knowingly try to smuggle heroin?

If a naive dupe, mercy is appropriate. If he knowingly hid the heroin in his suitcase or was aware that he was carrying heroin, different story.

Which is why I'm wondering about the evidence that he was duped.

 

[Subliminal]

I love how it's all turned to 'it's a conspiracy that he's mentally ill'

Woo, woo.

 

[truethat]

Anyone who smuggles drugs into an Asian country is a total idiot. So I don't have much sympathy. I don't think he should be executed though.

 

[XBoxWarrior]

I hate the fact that he will be killed.

And yet I wonder why the Chinese will allow the export of deadly RC drugs...

if you ask, I will provide a link.

**** the Chinese.

ETA: the link

http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?t=465736

the Chinese can distribute deadly chems, yet kill a man for having a non-deadly one? **** the Chinese!

Edited by Tricky: 

Edited to change terminology.

Do not use racial or ethnic slurs.

Replying to this modbox in thread will be off topic  Posted By: Tricky