Paris: France has raised objections after one of its citizens was executed by China on charges of drug trafficking. The Frenchman’s legal team was denied access to the final hearing, Paris has said.
The Chinese embassy in France has said that Chan Thao Phoumy, who was born in Laos, was sentenced to death in 2010 for drug trafficking. His sentencing was carried out recently, as reported by WION.
France also confirmed the news and said that Phoumy was executed, “despite the efforts of the French authorities, including efforts to obtain a pardon on humanitarian grounds for our compatriot”.
The 62-year-old Frenchman’s defence team did not get access to the final court hearing, the French ministry said, claiming that this violated his rights. The sentence was carried out in Guangzhou, to the south of the country.
The French ministry reiterated its opposition to the death penalty “everywhere and in all circumstances” and called for “its universal abolition,” AFP reported.
There were no details provided regarding the case by China’s foreign ministry, even after it was asked on Sunday.
“Cracking down on drug-related crime is a shared responsibility of all countries,” it replied to AFP.
“China treats defendants of different nationalities equally, handles cases strictly and fairly in accordance with the law and protects the lawful rights and treatment of the parties involved,” it added.
While exact figures are unavailable, China is known to execute more people every year than the rest of the world combined. While figures have come down, an estimated 2,400 people are put to death every year for various crimes, including drug-related ones.
