British man Akmal Shaikh has been executed in China, despite arguments from his family and lawyer that he suffered for many years from mental instability, with a bipolar disorder.

His execution highlights the injustice and inhumanity of the death penalty, particularly as it is implemented in China. Much information about the death penalty is considered a state secret, but Mr Shaikh's treatment seems consistent with what we know from other cases: a short, almost perfunctory trial, where not all the evidence was presented and investigated, and the death penalty applied to a number of nonviolent crimes.

Mr Shaikh was detained in Urumqi in 2007, accused of carrying four kilograms of heroin in his luggage. His supporters said he was tricked by a criminal gang into carrying the piece of luggage.

Under international human rights law, as well Chinese law, a defendant's mental health can and should be taken into account, and it doesn't seem that in this case the Chinese authorities did so.

It's simply not enough for the Chinese authorities to say 'we did the right thing, trust us'. Now, there can be no re-assesment of evidence, no reprieve after a man's life has been taken.

Amnesty International will continue to campaign for an end to the death penalty and for China to bring transparency and respect for human rights into its judicial system. The UK, the EU, and the rest of the world should continue to press the Chinese Government to increase the transparency surrounding the death penalty in China and to improve the due process offered all defendants, particularly those facing charges punishable by death.