China has executed a French citizen convicted of drug trafficking, the French Foreign Ministry has confirmed.
Chan Thao Phoumy, 62, was put to death in Guangzhou, despite clemency appeals from French authorities. He had spent over 15 years on death row, having been sentenced by a Chinese court in 2010. The ministry's statement late on Saturday did not specify when the sentence was carried out.
The ministry's statement expressed "consternation" and added: "We particularly regret that Mr. Chan's defense did not have access to the final court hearing, which constitutes a violation of his rights."
"We extend our condolences to his family, whose grief we share," it said.
In a short statement Sunday that didn't mention Chan by name, the Chinese Embassy in Paris said that China "treats defendants of all nationalities equally, handles all cases impartially and strictly in accordance with the law."
France abolished the death penalty by act of parliament in 1981, and has become a vigorous campaigner against its use and for its abolition everywhere.
China's use of executions — carried out by firing squads or lethal injections — is shrouded in secrecy but has long been extensive. Amnesty International says China is the world's lead executioner, believed to sentence and put to death thousands of people annually.
