Australian drug smuggler sentenced to death in China
- Defendant has been in custody since 2013 after being caught trying to carry more than 7.5kg of methamphetamine out of the country, newspaper report says
- Court ruling comes amid rising tensions between Beijing and Canberra
An Australian man has been sentenced to death for drug trafficking by a court in southern China.
The Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court made the ruling on Wednesday against the man, who was identified only as an Australian citizen.
As well as the death sentence, his assets would be seized, the court said in a statement on its website, without providing any further details.
However, a report by Yangcheng Evening News said the man was arrested at the end of 2013 when customs officers at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport discovered more than 7.5kg (16.5lbs) of Ice, a form of methamphetamine, in his bag as he was trying to leave the country.
A report by The Sydney Morning Herald identified the man as Karm Gilespie.
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China says bilateral relations not related to death penalty sentence for Australian in drugs case
While Australia’s foreign ministry said consular assistance was being provided to a citizen in China, it would not confirm the person’s identity, citing privacy obligations.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of the verdict made in his case,” a ministry spokesperson said, adding that Australia “opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances for all people”.
“We support the universal abolition of the death penalty and are committed to pursuing this goal through all the avenues available to us.”
The announcement of the verdict comes amid tense relations between Beijing and Canberra following Australia’s support for an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus, which was first reported in China.
The education ministry also issued a warning to Chinese students looking to continue their studies at Australian universities when the spring semester starts in July.
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China is Australia’s largest trading partner, as well as a major source of lucrative international students and tourists.
The Australian defendant is the second foreigner to be sentenced to death for a drug crime in China in the past 18 months.
He appealed the decision, but lost. In the appeal hearing in January 2019 at a court in Dalian in northeastern Liaoning province his sentence was upgraded to the death penalty.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
