Family of executed Akmal Shaikh calls for an inquest

Akmal Shaikh was executed by lethal injection on 29 December

The family of a British man executed in China for drug smuggling wants an inquest to be held into his death.

Akmal Shaikh's relatives have written to the Foreign Secretary David Miliband urging him to order an inquest.

The 53-year-old, from London, died on 29 December despite pleas for clemency on the grounds he was mentally ill.

The Foreign Office said 27 ministerial representations had been made to China to stop the execution. They would not comment on the inquest demand.

In the letter to the foreign secretary, Mr Shaikh's brother Akbar said his family was suffering "incredible grief and torment over the many unanswered questions surrounding Akmal's death".

An inquest would give this grieving family a crucial insight into Akmal's final hours Clive Stafford Smith Reprieve director British anger at China execution Family 'outraged' by execution

"We have begged the Chinese for answers but none have been forthcoming," he wrote. "All this uncertainty is just too much for the family to bear.

"We therefore implore you to direct a coroner's inquest so that some of our questions can be answered, and the terrible mysteries surrounding my brother's apparent death, 7,000 miles from his family and all alone, can be resolved for us."

'Crucial insight'

Mr Shaikh's family, who are supported by human rights charity Reprieve, argue the government has the power to call for an inquest.

Reprieve's director Clive Stafford Smith said Mr Shaikh's family had not been told of his death "until he was already apparently buried in the frozen soil of Urumqi".

CHINA DEATH PENALTY China executed 1,718 people in 2008, according to Amnesty International Last year 72% of the world's total executions took place in China, the charity estimates The penalty applies to 60 offences, including non-violent ones such as tax fraud and embezzlement Those sentenced to death are usually shot, but some provinces are introducing lethal injections China execution: World reaction Executions shrouded in secrecy Q&A: Bipolar disorder

"Nobody told the family how or where he would be killed. No family member or independent observer was allowed to witness his death, view his body or verify his burial," he said.

"We have only the word of a Chinese press release that he was even killed."

He said an inquest would give the family a "crucial insight" into Mr Shaikh's final hours.

"Only then can they begin to recover from the trauma of Akmal's lonely and senseless death," he added.

Mr Shaikh's execution by lethal injection took place despite repeated calls from his family and the British government for clemency.

His defence team and family said Mr Shaikh suffered from bipolar disorder and that no assessment of his mental health had been carried out for the Chinese courts.

Beijing says Mr Shaikh was caught with more than 4kg of heroin in the north-western city of Urumqi in 2007.

He had denied all knowledge of the drugs, and his daughter has said he was duped by drug smugglers in Poland who convinced him they would make him a popstar in China.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said an inquest was not automatically carried out when a Briton died overseas. She would not comment on the specific demand from Mr Shaikh's family.

The execution sparked a diplomatic row between China and the UK, with the Chinese ambassador Fu Ying summoned to the Foreign Office.