A 61-year-old Japanese man was sentenced to death by a district court in the Chinese city of Shenyang earlier this month on charges of trying to smuggle 1.25 kg of stimulant drugs from China to Japan, sources close to the case said Saturday.
The man, who has not been named, is the first Japanese to be given a death penalty that was not suspended in China, according to Japanese authorities.
Since being sentenced on Feb. 3, the defendant has appealed to a higher court and the hearing will take place within two months, the sources said, adding that his execution will take place relatively soon if the appeal court upholds the initial ruling.
The man was detained at an airport in Liaoning Province in July as he was about to board an international flight, allegedly with drugs in his possession.