CHINA. FIRST EXECUTIONS IN CHENGDU AFTER SHIFT TO LETHAL INJECTION

March 11, 2008: the intermediate people's court of southwest China's Chengdu city used lethal injections to terminate the lives of several convicts of murders and fraud after the court decided to stop applying gunshot executions from March 1st this year.
The local Chengdu Daily reported the executions were ratified by the Supreme People's Court (SPC) and carried out. Jiang Xingchang, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), told China Daily in January that half of the country's 404 intermediate people's courts - which carry most of the executions - use lethal injections.
"It is considered more humane and will eventually be used in all intermediate people's courts" Jiang said without revealing a timetable.
To achieve the goal, the SPC will allocate the toxin used in the injection to local courts under strict supervision, he added. Currently, court officials have to come to Beijing for the toxin. (Sources: China Daily, 13/03/2008)