Akmal Shaikh executed in China

It has been confirmed that at 2.30am this morning, Akmal Shaikh, the British citizen with suspected bipolar disorder, was executed in China. 38 Degrees members have been campaigning alongside Reprieve and others to challenge his death sentence: experts believed that Akmal was suffering from a serious mental illness and should not have been held responsible for his actions.

This is a tragic end to the fight to save Akmal’s life and we are so saddened by the loss that his family and friends are now having endure.

Akmal’s death illustrates how important it is to keep standing up for human rights, both here in the UK and abroad. Throughout 2010, 38 Degrees members will be taking action to make sure that cases like Akmal’s get the attention and the political backing that they deserve. We will also continue to support Reprieve’s brilliant work challenging the death penalty all over the world: you can read more about what they do here.