Prime Minister decries Australian sentenced to death in China

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, on Monday, expressed sadness about a citizen who was sentenced to death in China recently.

The death sentence comes amid an ongoing political and trade row between China and Australia.

In a statement, Morrison said; “I and the government are very sad and concerned that an Australian citizen, Karm Gilespie, has been sentenced to death in China.

“Our thoughts are with him, his family and his loved ones”.

Morrison said that the Australian government would continue to support Gilespie and have raised the issue with its Chinese counterparts. He added that Australian authorities were working to assiduously to secure his release.

Gilespie, the convicted victim was sentenced in the Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court on Saturday and has 10 days to appeal the verdict.

He was arrested in 2013 with more than 7.5 kilogrammes of methamphetamine in his check-in luggage.