Nepal's Maoists condemned the death sentence awarded...

Nepal's Maoists condemned the death sentence awarded in China to two of their comrades, calling it "barbaric" and "medieval". While Nepal's foreign ministry professed to have no further information about the four men, the Nepalese media reported that the two men on death row were Maoists. Hiralal Shrestha, also known by his nom de guerre Ananda, was liable to be executed any time while Gyaltsen Sherpa would be executed in two years. Reacting angrily to the verdict, the Maoists issued a statement condemning China for retaining medieval customs while being in the 21st century. The statement, signed by a Maoist leader known only as Asmita, denied that Shrestha was involved in arms smuggling. She said he was carrying a limited amount of firearms to ensure his personal safety and urged Beijing to commute the death sentence.