South African woman accused of drug smuggling in China faces death sentence

South African woman faces death sentence in China

PRETORIA, South Africa — South Africa says China has sentenced a South African woman to death for drug smuggling.

South Africa’s foreign affairs department said in a statement Friday the sentence was confirmed by a court in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.

South Africa says its ambassador in China is leading efforts to have the sentence commuted. A final decision rests with a higher court in Beijing.

According to a report Friday in China’s state-run Guangzhou Daily, a South African identified as Janice Bronwyn Linden flew from Dubai to Guangzhou in November 2008. Authorities say she was found with two bags of the drug methamphetamine hydrochloride.

China recently executed four Japanese citizens for drug smuggling and trafficking, as well as a British man.