{"id":213149,"date":"2019-05-01T11:50:59","date_gmt":"2019-05-01T18:50:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/?p=213149"},"modified":"2019-05-02T22:43:04","modified_gmt":"2019-05-03T05:43:04","slug":"american-sentenced-to-death-with-reprieve-in-china-on-drug-charges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/2019\/05\/american-sentenced-to-death-with-reprieve-in-china-on-drug-charges\/","title":{"rendered":"American Sentenced to Death with Reprieve in China"},"content":{"rendered":"

American citizen Mark Swidan has been sentenced to death<\/strong><\/a> with a two-year reprieve in the drug manufacturing case that yesterday saw Canadian Fan Wei handed the death penalty<\/a>. Fan Wei is the second Canadian to be sentenced to death and one of several currently detained in China whose treatment is widely seen as retribution<\/a> for the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in Canada at the U.S.’s behest. The San Francisco-based Duihua Foundation, which has been working on Swidan’s case for several years, reported his sentence:<\/p>\n

Mark Swidan and ten other individuals were found guilty by the Jiangmen court, including two who were sentenced to death. One of those sentenced to death is a Canadian citizen. All of those convicted have 10 days to appeal their sentences.<\/p>\n

Since Swidan\u2019s trial in 2013, the Jiangmen court has applied for extensions of the statutory requirement to announce a judgement no later than three months after the trial. The Supreme People\u2019s Court in Beijing granted the extensions on more than 20 occasions. No explanation was provided to the family.<\/p>\n

According to a summary of the case published by the Dui Hua Foundation in November 2017, \u201cMark Swidan was taken into custody during a police raid on his hotel room on November 12, 2012. He was on a business trip. Two individuals \u2013 an interpreter and a driver \u2013 had come to his room. Police reportedly found drugs on their persons. No drugs were found on Mr. Swidan or in his room. Drugs were found in the room of another suspect. No forensic evidence has been produced \u2013 no drugs in his system, no DNA on the packages, no fingerprints on the packages or drug paraphernalia \u2013 tying Mr. Swidan to the drugs. No emails, letters, or phone calls have been found that link Mr. Swidan to any drug transaction. The indictment states that Mr. Swidan played a secondary role in the alleged crime. Prosecutors recommended a lesser sentence. Mr. Swidan has no history of criminal behavior, including using or trafficking in drugs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katherine Swidan has led the fight for her son\u2019s freedom. The news of this cruel sentence is a crushing blow to her and her family in Houston, Texas. [Source<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Katherine Swidan also confirmed the news via a Tweet:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/mamasparkles168\/status\/1123324284531769344?s=12<\/p>\n

ABC News in Houston interviewed<\/strong><\/a> Katherine Swidan:
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