Akmal Shaikh

Despite overwhelming evidence that he was severely mentally ill, Akmal Shaikh was executed on 29 December 2009 in Urumqi, China.

Akmal, a father of five, had a lifelong history of exhibiting bizarre and strange behaviour. People from whom Reprieve took witness statements during the struggle to save him from execution said “he seemed crazy to me” and that he “was severely mentally disturbed”. 

In 2005 Akmal moved from his family home in London to Poland. There, his state of mind deteriorated rapidly and he became homeless. Living on the streets he would tell anyone who would listen about “Come Little Rabbit” - a song he wrote and recorded. Akmal was convinced that publication of the song would usher in world peace and make him a huge pop star.  

It was during this time Akmal met a man who claimed to be in the music industry; he told Akmal he could help him realise his dream of becoming a pop sensation and sent him to Kyrgyzstan to meet with his “colleagues”. In Kyrgyzstan Akmal was asked to accompany one of the men to China. The man claimed to own a nightclub there and said he wanted Akmal to sing in his club. Excited at the prospect, Akmal agreed to travel to China with him.

En route, they stopped off in Tajikistan where Akmal’s companion broke the news that Akmal would have to travel onwards to China alone as there was only one seat left on the plane. This man told Akmal that he wasn’t to worry - he would be on the next flight. Again, Akmal agreed but became suspicious when his companion asked him to take his bag to China for him. Akmal looked through the bag but was unable to find anything amiss. 

When Akmal landed in China on 12 September 2007 the police stopped him, searched his bag, where they alleged they found around 4 kg of heroin, and arrested him on drug charges. Akmal cooperated fully with the police, telling them what had happened and helped them set up a sting operation to catch the man who gave him the bag – naturally the man did not show up on the next flight as promised.

It is clear that Akmal became involved with these men for reasons that were based on his own delusions and it is highly likely that these professional drug smugglers knew that Akmal was mentally ill and that he could be readily manipulated. Despite this, Akmal was sentenced to death by the Chinese authorities in December 2007. The news of the death sentence did not reach Reprieve, Akmal’s lawyer or even Akmal himself until 10 months later in October 2008, perhaps not coincidentally after the Beijing Olympics had come to a close and were hailed a great success.

While Akmal’s first appeal was pending before the Higher People’s Court of Xinjiang, Reprieve, with the assistance of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) sought permission for Dr Peter Schaapveld, a forensic psychologist, to see Akmal and paid for him to fly to China. The Chinese authorities had indicated they were willing to allow an assessment to be carried out, but upon arrival Dr Schaapveld was denied access to Akmal without explanation. Although Dr Schaapveld was unable to meet with Akmal he spoke to Embassy staff who had met Akmal and attended the appeal hearing. Reprieve also provided Dr Schaapveld with witness statements from people who knew Akmal as well as hundreds of e-mails Akmal sent the British Embassy in Poland while he was living there. Many of these e-mails were rambling, incoherent and in 72 point font, providing further evidence of severe mental illness. In his expert report Dr Schaapveld concluded that “the evidence clearly points to the fact that Mr. Shaikh was and/or is suffering from a severe mental disorder”.

In the days and hours leading up to Akmal's execution, six independent witnesses came forward to attest to his severe illness. Their statements are below. These statements, together with the full case file on Akmal Shaikh, were sent repeatedly to the Chinese authorities, and were repeatedly ignored, as were representations by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Foreign Secretary David Miliband and personal pleas from Akmal’s family. Akmal was executed by lethal injection at 10.30 am local time on 29 December 2009.

Reprieve would like to thank everyone who attempted to save Akmal’s life, including his family - who showed great courage, those who knew Akmal, the Rights Practice, the Law Society, MIND, SANE, the Mental Health Lawyers Association and the British Government.

***USE OF THE ABOVE PHOTO MUST BE CLEARED WITH REPRIEVE and must always credit the photographer 'Paul Newbery'.