Jan. 21
URGENT ACTION APPEAL
- From Amnesty International USA
----------------------------------
For a print-friendly version of this Urgent Action (PDF):
http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa01012.pdf
UA: 10/12
Country: China
Issue Date: 19 January 2012
MACAU RESIDENT AT RISK OF EXECUTION IN CHINA
A man sentenced to death in China for drugs offenses, Lau Fat-wai, is currently
having his case
reviewed by the Supreme People's Court. If the Supreme People's Court upholds
his death sentence, he
could be executed within a week of the court's decision.
Lau Fat-wai is a resident of Macau, a partly autonomous special administrative
region of China. He
was arrested in mainland China in April 2006 accused of transporting and
manufacturing drugs and the
illegal trading in materials for manufacturing drugs. He was sentenced to death
by the Guangzhou
City Intermediate People's Court, south-east China, on 16 March 2009. Thirteen
other co-defendants
were convicted for various crimes including manufacturing and selling drugs and
illegal possession
of firearms, and were given sentences ranging from three years to death
sentence with a two year
reprieve.
Guangdong Provincial Higher People's Court upheld Lau Fat-wai's death sentence
on 28 September 2011.
The Supreme People's Court, which reviews all death sentences in China and has
the power to approve
or revise them, is now reviewing Lau Fat-wai's case.
Lau Fat-wai is currently detained in Guangzhou City No. 1 Detention Center.
According to his family,
the authorities have not allowed them to meet with Lau Fat-wai since his arrest
April 2006. They
have only been able to correspond with him through letters.
Please write immediately in Chinese or your own language:
- urging the Chinese authorities not to execute Lau Fat-wai;
- calling on the authorities to ensure that Lau Fat-wai has access to his
family and any medical
attention he may require;
- urging the National People's Congress to introduce a legal procedure for
requesting clemency and
to eliminate the death penalty for all non-violent crimes;
- urging the authorities to establish an immediate moratorium on executions
with a view to
abolishing the death penalty, in line with UN General Assembly resolutions
62/149 of 18 December
2007, 63/168 of 18 December 2008 and 65/206 of 21 December 2010.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 1 MARCH 2012 TO:
Supreme People's Court President
WANG Shengjun Yuanzhang
Zuigao Renmin Fayuan
27 Dongjiaomin Xiang
Beijingshi 100745
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Fax: 011 86 10 6529 2345
Salutation: Dear President
National People's Congress Standing Committee Chairman
WU Bangguo Weiyuanzhang
Quanguo Renda Changwu Weiyuanhui Bangongting
23 Xijiaominxiang
Xichengqu
Beijingshi 100805
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Salutation: Dear Chairman
And copies to:
Chief Executive of Macau Special Administrative Region
CHUI Sai On Fernando
Sede do Governo da RAEM
Avenida da Praia Grande
MACAU
Fax: 011 853 2872 6168
Email: g...@raem.gov.mo
Salutation: Dear Chief Executive
Ambassador Zhang Yesui
Embassy of the People's Republic of China
3505 International Place NW
Washington DC 20008
Tel: 202 495-2266
Fax: 1 202 495-2138
Email: chinaembpress...@mfa.gov.cn
Please check with the AIUSA Urgent Action Office if sending appeals after the
above date.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
No one sentenced to death receives a fair trial in China. There are also
significant gaps between
the law, practice and international commitments made by China to uphold
international fair trial
standards. Many have had confessions accepted despite saying in court that
these were extracted
under torture; have had to prove themselves innocent, rather than be proven
guilty; and have had
limited access to legal counsel.
The death penalty is applicable to at least 55 offenses in China, including
non-violent ones, such
as drug-related crimes. Statistics on the death penalty are a state secret but
Amnesty International
estimates that China executes thousands of people every year and certainly more
than the rest of the
world combined.
In January 2007, the practice of having the Supreme People's Court (SPC) review
all death sentences
was restored. It had been suspended in 1982. All death sentences must now be
reviewed by the SPC,
which has the power to approve or revise death sentences. The Chinese
authorities have reported a
drop in executions since the SPC resumed this review but decline to release
relevant statistics
which remain classified as a State Secret. Legal academics and court officials
in China have
occasionally been quoting estimating the decrease at between 10-15% each year
since 2007. Whilst
information on the application of the death penalty remains shrouded in secrecy
in China, it is
impossible to make a full and informed analysis of death penalty developments
in China, or to verify
if there has been such a reduction in its use.
China provides no clemency procedures for condemned prisoners after they have
exhausted their
appeals through the courts.
Name: Lau Fat-wai (m)
Issue(s): Risk of execution, Legal concern
---------------------------------
** POSTAGE RATES **
- Please Note that the following postage rate increases will go into effect on
January 22 -
Within the United States:
$0.32 - Postcards
$0.45 - Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)
To Canada:
$0.85 - Postcards
$0.85 - Airmail Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)
To Mexico:
$0.85 - Postcards
$0.85 - Airmail Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)
To all other destination countries:
$1.05 - Postcards
$1.05 - Airmail Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)
Amnesty International is a worldwide grassroots movement that promotes and
defends human rights.
This Urgent Action may be reposted if kept intact, including contact
information and stop action
date (if applicable). Thank you for your help with this appeal.
Urgent Action Network
Amnesty International USA
600 Pennsylvania Ave SE 5th fl
Washington DC 20003
Email: u...@aiusa.org
http://www.amnestyusa.org/uan
Phone: 202.509.8193
Fax: 202.675.8566
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END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
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