Australia 'disheartened' by death sentence in China
Jun 15, 2020
Australia has described as “deeply disheartening” a death sentence China imposed on an Australian man accused of drug smuggling
SYDNEY (AP) — Australia on Sunday described as “deeply disheartening” a death sentence China imposed on an Australian man accused of drug smuggling, and the trade minister said it shouldn’t be linked to ongoing friction over trade and the pandemic.
Karm Gilespie was arrested in 2013 at Baiyun Airport in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on charges of attempting to board an international flight with more than 7.5 kilograms (16.5 pounds) of methamphetamine in his check-in luggage.
The Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court on Saturday announced Gilespie had been sentenced to death and ordered the confiscation of all of his personal property.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was “deeply saddened to hear of the verdict."
“Australia opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances for all people,” it said. “We support the universal abolition of the death penalty and are committed to pursuing this goal through all the avenues available to us.”
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham called the sentence “distressing” but said it shouldn’t necessarily be linked to disputes between China and Australia.
“This is very distressing for Mr. Gilespie and his loved ones and our government will continue to provided consular assistance,” Birmingham told Sky News Sunday.
“This is a reminder to all Australians ... that Australian laws don’t apply overseas, that other countries have much harsher penalties, particularly in relation to matters such as drug trafficking.”
Australia has led calls for an inquiry into China’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan.
In response China, Australia’s largest trading partner, has imposed some new restrictions on Australian exports and issued travel warnings to Chinese students planning to study in Australia, citing racism.
Gilespie has 10 days to appeal his sentence.
___
This story was first published on June 14, 2020. It was updated on June 15, 2020, to correct the spelling of the man’s name to Karm Gilespie, not Cam Gillespie.
More News
Wall Street’s wild Nvidia ride delivers big paydays and even bigger bruises
Investors are doubling down on speculative wagers that have delivered both spectacular gains and crushing losses this year.
Inside Boeing’s mission to rebuild trust in the 737 after years of turbulence
In the airline industry, attention to detail is everything. Boeing’s recovery is tied to reforms on its manufacturing floor in Washington.
Commercial childcare is hitting a brick wall. Who will pick up the pieces?
Australia’s largest childcare provider has signalled its intent to surrender to a lowball private equity bid as other for-profit providers collapse in record numbers.
‘I don’t care’: Inside Jensen Huang’s last hours as Nvidia CEO
At the end, Jensen Huang looked broken and shattered, his legendary energy depleted.
I worked part-time at David Jones. I know exactly why the business failed
Lift operators, bra fitters and lying sales assistants – I mourn you all.
How Elon Musk drove the Cybertruck and Tesla’s ambitions off a cliff
Elon Musk’s passion project crashed and burned. Its demise carries a lot of weight,
M.J. Bale axed its retail boss while she was on maternity leave. Now she’s fighting back
The Australian menswear retailer made its high-flying retail boss redundant days before her scheduled return from parental leave.
‘Either brave or mad’: A bastion of fine dining gets a sorely needed facelift
Rob and Tammy Charter had other ideas about how they wanted to spend post-work life. Like buying a heritage pub.
This Qantas jet was hit by lightning. It’s still grounded two weeks later
Pictures show the damage left by a lightning bolt, with charred areas of the skin and mesh exposed, on a plane that arrived in Melbourne from Los Angeles last month.
There has never been another scandal like this
Here’s a look at some of the most famous corporate scandals in history. Jensen Huang is really in a league of his own.
Hall of shame: Jensen Huang joins the list of CEOs brought down by affairs
The “close personal relationship” has been the downfall of a number of chief executives over the years.
Australian shares limp across the line to end week higher
The sharemarket has risen for six of the past seven weeks despite a weak finish in the final session.