China sentences Australian man to death for drug smuggling

The Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court sentenced man to death for the crime of drug smuggling. Photo / Getty Images

An Australian man has been sentenced to death in China after allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs into the country more than six years ago.

According to Ifeng News, the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court sentenced the man this week.

The man has been named by Australian media as Cam Gillespie.

"On the morning of June 10, the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court made a first-instance judgment on the smuggling of drugs by the Australian defendant and sentenced him to death for the crime of drug smuggling," Nine news said.

The court also ordered all of Gillespie's personal property to be confiscated.

A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson told news.com.au it was "deeply saddened" to hear of Gillespie's sentence.

"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to an Australian man detained in China," the spokesperson said.

"We are deeply saddened to hear of the verdict made in his case. Australia opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances for all people.

"We support the universal abolition of the death penalty and are committed to pursuing this goal through all the avenues available to us. Owing to our privacy obligations we will not provide further comment."

On social media, Australians have blasted the decision to "execute" someone regardless of their crime.

"As an Australian, I am outraged," one wrote on Facebook.

"This is someone's loved one regardless of poor life choices," another agreed.

One said: "How is this acceptable?"

Others however said it served as a reminder to "respect local laws when overseas".

According to Chinese state media, Gillespie was stopped by Customs officers on December 31, 2013 at Guangzhou's Baiyun Airport after they allegedly detected 7.5kg of methamphetamine in his checked luggage.

A number of Australians are detained in China.

Australian New Zealander Peter Gardner has been in a Chinese jail since 2015 after he was caught allegedly trying to smuggle 30kg of methamphetamine out of the country.

Australian New Zealander Peter Gardner at Guangzhou Intermediate Court in 2015. Photo / Supplied

He is also facing the death penalty.

Gardner was stopped at Guangzhou airport in November 2014 and arrested with his then girlfriend Kalynda Davis.

The then 26-year-old had allegedly tried to board a Sydney-bound flight with two suitcases full of 30kg of ice worth $20 million. Guangzhou authorities said the suitcases, which were superglued shut, contained the biggest haul of methamphetamine recorded at the airport.

Strained diplomatic relations have in the past been blamed for China's decisions to hand out death penalties.

Two Canadians were sentenced to death last year amid escalating tensions between the two countries after a Huawei executive was arrested and put under house arrest in Canada.

In April last year, a Canadian named Fan Wei was sentenced to death in the Jiangmen Intermediate People's Court in Guangdong province.

And three months before, in January, a Canadian national named Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was also given a death sentence after a rapid retrial.

Canada fired accusations at China last year, claiming the two death sentences were given because it had arrested Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese tech giant Huawei.

Meng was arrested on December 1, 2018, in Vancouver on behalf of the United States on charges of working to evade Iran sanctions.

Meng remains under house arrest in Canada and continues to fight extradition to the US.