Death penalty for Australian in line with law

China’s foreign ministry said the case of an Australian citizen sentenced to death last week on drug smuggling charges has nothing to do with Beijing’s bilateral relations with Australia.

Karm Gilespie, a former actor in his mid-fifties, was arrested on New Year’s Eve in 2013 with more than 7.5kg of methamphetamine in his check-in luggage while attempting to board an international flight from Baiyun airport in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, according to media reports.

He was sentenced to death by the Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court last week for drug smuggling.

“Applying the death penalty to drug crimes that cause extremely serious harm can help in deterring and preventing drug crimes,” ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said during a daily briefing.

China’s judicial institutions have proceeded according to Chinese law and in an independent manner, Zhao said. Australia should “earnestly respect China’s judicial sovereignty. And the above-mentioned case has nothing to do with bilateral relations,” he added.

China will “facilitate consular visits from the Australian side,” Zhao said.

Gilespie’s family asked for privacy and called on friends and acquaintances to refrain from speculating on his case “which we do not believe assists his case.” Gilespie has 10 days to appeal his sentence.