A female Russian citizen was sentenced to death in...

A female Russian citizen was sentenced to death in China's Yongan province for drug smuggling. The 24-year-old woman, whose name was not divulged, was arrested with 955 grammes of heroin on her. An official at the Russian embassy in China told Itar-Tass that the woman was in a prison, where she had been operated for an acute condition. The diplomat said "the girl will not be shot by all means: under Chinese rules, all will depend on her behavior in the prison". However, China's laws on drug crimes are drastic, and consultations with the Chinese side on softening the punishment have led nowhere so far. Available information suggests that three other Russian women charged with drug trafficking are staying in Yongan prisons awaiting sentences. Court rulings on their cases are expected in two months. Russia and China have no extradition agreement.