An American citizen faces execution in China now that his appeal of a murder conviction has been rejected.
Shadeed Abdulmateen was convicted of killing his former girlfriend, and the death sentence was announced in April.
After a trial by the High People’s Court of Eastern China’s Zhejiang Province, Abdulmateen’s appeal was rejected, CCTV reported, according to Reuters.
“The High People’s Court of Zhejiang Province … found that the facts found by the Ningbo Intermediate People’s Court were clear, the evidence was true and sufficient, the conviction was accurate, the sentence was appropriate and the trial procedure was lawful, so it made the above ruling,” CCTV reported.
The Supreme People’s Court will review the decision, which is largely a formality.
A U.S. Embassy spokesman said diplomats were “aware of a court decision related to a U.S. citizen.”
“We take seriously our responsibility to assist U.S. citizens abroad and are monitoring the situation,” the spokesman said. “Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment.”
Abdulmateen had taught English at Ningbo University of Technology, according to the South China Morning Post.
Abdulmateen had told the woman, whose name was only given as Chen, that he was divorced when he was not, state broadcaster CCTV said.
The two met in 2019 and soon became involved in a relationship.
China’s state-run Global Times said that events spiraled after Chen wanted to end the affair.
“Starting in May 2021, Chen said several times that she wanted a break-up, but she was always refused and verbally threatened by the man,” the Global Times reported.
According to the court, Abdulmateen met Chen at a bus stop in Ningbo, Zhejiang province in June 2021.
He then killed her with a “folding knife,” the court ruled.
Abdulmateen’s “premeditated revenge killing, stabbing and cutting Chen’s face and neck several times, resulting in Chen’s death, was motivated by vile motives, resolute intent and cruel means, and the circumstances of the crime were particularly bad and the consequences particularly serious, and should be punished according to law,” CCTV reported, according to CNN.
Amnesty International has reported that China sentences thousands of people to death each year, but the country does not release any official execution numbers.
