France Condemns China’s Execution of 62-Year-Old Citizen for Drug Trafficking

Overview

• The French Embassy in Beijing, which disclosed the execution Monday, called it “shocking” in a public statement.
• The 62-year-old had received a death sentence in 2010 for drug sales and remained in detention for more than two decades.
• French officials said they asked China for clemency on humanitarian grounds, but authorities carried out the sentence.
• The embassy said the man's lawyer was not allowed to take part in the final review of the case, which it described as a rights breach.
• The statement appeared on the embassy’s official WeChat account, and it urged an end to capital punishment worldwide.