CHINA: AZERBAIJANI ON DEATH ROW IN CHINA MAY HAVE SENTENCE COMMUTED

the Azerbaijani ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to China, Yashar Aliyev, said that there was an Azerbaijani, who had been sentenced to death for selling drugs, in jail in China. The court delayed the execution of the decision for two years and this term expires late in 2008. One more court hearing will be held on his case at the end of the year. If it is determined that he did not violate prison rules, his death sentence may be commuted to life imprisonment. The ambassador said that Azerbaijani side was going to file an appeal against the court decision. The appeal will be based on the abolition of death sentence in Azerbaijan. According to Yashar Aliyev if China annuls death sentence on our citizen, measures will be taken for his extradition to Azerbaijan.