Gordon Brown's anger as Chinese execute Briton

• Akmal Shaikh who was executed by lethal injection by the Chinese authorities yesterday. The act has put a strain on UK-Sino relations. Picture: Getty Images

Akmal Shaikh was executed by the Chinese despite claims he suffered from bipolar disorder. His death by lethal injection yesterday heralded a chorus of criticism from the British government, the United Nations and human rights groups.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who had telephoned Chinese premier Wen Jiabao to urge him to halt the execution, said he was "appalled and disappointed" at the failure to grant clemency.

Chinese officials in Beijing and London hit back, claiming Shaikh had "no previous medical record" of mental illness and warning Britain not to meddle in China's judicial affairs.

The row culminated last night in a "difficult" showdown between Foreign Office minister Ivan Lewis and China's ambassador Fu Ying, who was summoned twice to explain her country's action.

Mr Lewis said the execution had left him "sick to the stomach", and made clear China must heed Britain's concerns if the two nations were to engage in a "mature bilateral relationship".

Shaikh, who was sentenced to death last year for smuggling 4kg of heroin into the country, was killed in the early hours despite Mr Brown's decision to intervene personally by calling Mr Wen.

Shaikh's family said they were "deeply saddened, stunned and disappointed" by the execution. A mental health charity called it "medieval rough justice".

Following confirmation that Shaikh's execution had gone ahead, both Mr Brown and Foreign Secretary David Miliband condemned the decision.

In a statement, Mr Brown said: "I condemn the execution of Akmal Shaikh in the strongest terms, and am appalled and disappointed that our persistent requests for clemency have not been granted. I am particularly concerned that no mental health assessment was undertaken."

Mr Miliband expressed "deep regret" that the government's "specific concerns" about Shaikh were not considered. "These included mental health issues, and inadequate professional interpretation during the trial," he added.

However, the Chinese Embassy insisted Shaikh, of Kentish Town, north London, had "no previous medical record" of mental illness, and that his rights and interests had been properly respected.

In Beijing, Jiang Yu, a spokeswoman for the Chinese foreign ministry, issued a defiant defence of the execution, saying "no-one has the right to comment on China's judicial sovereignty".

She added: "We express our strong dissatisfaction and opposition to the British government's unreasonable criticism of the case. We urge the British to correct their mistake in order to avoid harming China-UK relations."

Family and supporters of Shaikh believe he was duped into carrying the drugs into China unknowingly by a gang in Poland. He was arrested in Urumqi, north-west China, in September 2007. His final appeal was rejected last week by the Supreme Court.

Shaikh's lawyer for the appeal, Zhang Qingsong, said yesterday he was not allowed to meet his client despite asking the judge for access, and claimed China's highest court never evaluated Shaikh's mental status.

His cousins, Soohail and Nasir Shaikh, travelled to China to visit him in prison and make a last-minute appeal for clemency to no avail. Shaikh became the first European to be executed in China in nearly 60 years.

Though he had never been assessed by a psychiatrist, Foreign Office officials were allowed to spend 15 minutes with Shaikh. From their description of his behaviour, Dr Peter Schaapveld, a London-based consultant clinical and forensic psychologist, said he deduced with "99 per cent certainty" that Shaikh was suffering from a mental disorder, possibly bipolar or schizophrenia.

In a statement issued through the human rights group, Reprieve, the brothers said: "Despite our own and other pleas, the Chinese authorities have maintained their refusal to investigate Akmal's mental health."

Mr Lewis said there had been no fewer than 27 representations at ministerial level on Shaikh's behalf to Chinese authorities.

Following his meeting with Ms Ying, Mr Lewis said: "I had a difficult conversation with the Chinese ambassador today. I made clear that the execution of Mr Shaikh was totally unacceptable and that China had failed in its basic human rights responsibilities in this case, in particular that China's court had not considered the representations made about Mr Shaikh's mental condition.

"It is an important element of a mature bilateral relationship that we are able to speak frankly about issues on which we disagree."

Conservative leader David Cameron joined the attack, calling it "appalling" that concerns over the former taxi firm manager's mental health were not independently assessed.

Edward Davey, Liberal Democrat spokesman for foreign affairs, said: "The Chinese authorities are focusing on domestic opinion rather than their own law. Their failure to take into account the mental health of Mr Shaikh was a breach of China's own code."

Philip Alston, the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said the execution amounted to a violation of Chinese and international law.

"Mr Shaikh is reported, I think fairly convincingly, to suffer from mental illness," he said. "That is a key issue that needs to be taken into account by the court.

"Consistent efforts to persuade the Chinese courts to obtain expert medical evidence on this were rejected and that is clearly in violation not only of Chinese law but also international law.

"Chinese law provides very clearly that one can plead the equivalent of insanity, both as a defence and as something that should be taken into account in mitigating the sentence."

Sam Zarifi, of Amnesty International, agreed: "It's not enough for the Chinese authorities to say 'We did the right thing, trust us'. Now there can be no reassessment of evidence, no reprieve after a man's life has been taken."

Clive Stafford Smith, director of Reprieve, said: "Is the world somehow a better place today because China refused to show compassion for an obviously ill man? Of course not. China's refusal to even allow a proper medical evaluation is simply disgusting."

Robert Westhead, of the charity, MDF The Bipolar Organisation, added: "The way the Chinese authorities have stubbornly failed to take account of this poor man's severe mental illness shows that China is still stuck in the Dark Ages. This execution is medieval rough justice gone badly wrong."

Mental illness that leaves sufferers unable to separate reality from inner psychosis

BIPOLAR disorder used to be more commonly known as manic depression. Sufferers experience severe mood swings, from deep depression to extreme happiness – mania – which can last for weeks or even months.

Campaigners believe Shaikh may have been duped into smuggling heroin while suffering from the disorder. They had urged the Chinese authorities to assess his mental health.

People who are bipolar may lose interest in life and find it hard to concentrate or to make even simple decisions during periods of depression.

But during manic periods, they may feel so full of optimism and energy that it can affect their ability to make good decisions and judgments, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Sufferers may feel more important than usual, believe strange things about themselves and behave in embarrassing or even harmful ways.

Robert Westhead, spokesman for the mental health charity The Bipolar Organisation, said: "This type of bizarre behaviour will sound painfully familiar to sufferers and loved ones. When manic, people often completely lose touch with reality.

"Someone might quit their job thinking they were about to become a famous novelist or even believe they were the Prime Minister or a top businessman. It is easy to see how these sorts of beliefs can result in people getting into terrible trouble."

Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of mental health charity Sane, said: "People with bipolar are unable to distinguish the outside world from their inner psychotic experience."

Around one in 100 adults will have bipolar disorder at some point in their life.