Australia's Threat Of Death Penalty Amid Tensions With China

PM Scott Morrison (Instagram/@scottmorrisonmp)

JAKARTA - An Australian man named Karm Gilespie has been sentenced to death for drug trafficking. This made Australian Prime Minister (PM) Scott Morrison. He promised to continue to accompany the man legally. The death sentence also comes amid rising tensions between the two countries.

Prior to the death penalty for Australians, diplomatic relations between China and Australia were quite strained. This came after Australia called for an international investigation into the source and spread of the new coronavirus in Wuhan.

Gilespie was sentenced to court in Guangzhou South, on Wednesday, June 10. However, the sentencing report was only submitted to the Australian side on Saturday, June 13. The death penalty for drug trafficking is not uncommon in China, where executions are usually carried out by firing squad teams.

Reading the statement in parliament, PM Morrison said he was sad and concerned and Australia remained against the death penalty. "We consistently advocate for the abolition of the death penalty worldwide by the diplomatic avenues available to us," Morrison said.

"We will continue to provide consular assistance to Gilespie and involve China in his case," added Prime Minister Morrison.

Gilespie is a former Australian actor who was arrested in 2013. When he was arrested, he had 7.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in his bag when he was leaving on an international flight from Guangzhou Airport.

In a statement, Gilespie's family asked for privacy and asked friends and acquaintances not to speculate on Gilespie's case. They said they would not give information regarding the case to "those not trusted to help."

"Our family is very saddened by this situation," the statement said. "We will not make public comments and ask the media to respect our privacy in these difficult circumstances."

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Not related to China-Australia relations

China's foreign ministry said Gilespie's death sentence had nothing to do with Beijing's bilateral relations with Australia. Spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters during a daily briefing that the decision was made by the Chinese court in accordance with the law.

"The above case has nothing to do with the diplomatic relations between the two countries," said spokesman Zhao Lijian.

China in recent weeks has banned imports of Australian beef and imposed tariffs on Australian wheat. They also urged Chinese students to consider not attending school in Australia.