BEIJING (BNO NEWS) — China on Tuesday executed a British man convicted of smuggling drugs into China despite international pressure, Prime Minister Brown and Foreign Secretary David Miliband said.

Earlier on Tuesday, China’s Supreme People’s Court cleared the way for his execution after it approved his death sentence. Prime Minister Brown, his relatives and human rights groups had asked the government to spare his life, saying he had mental problems and was lured into the crime.

Prime Minister Brown immediate condemned the execution in a statement issued by his office.

“I condemn the execution of Akmal Shaikh in the strongest terms, and am appalled and disappointed that our persistent requests for clemency have not been granted,” Brown said. “I am particularly concerned that no mental health assessment was undertaken. At this time our thoughts are with Mr. Shaikh’s family and friends and I send them our sincere condolences.”

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband also condemned the execution. “I join the Prime Minister in expressing my deepest condolences to Mr Shaikh’s family and friends,” Miliband said.

Miliband said both Britain and China are “completely committed” to fight drug trade, but said the issue is whether Shaikh is another victim of it.

“The UK is completely opposed to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances,” Miliband said in his written statement. “However I also deeply regret the fact that our specific concerns about the individual in this case were not taken into consideration despite repeated calls by the Prime Minister, Ministerial colleagues and me. These included mental health issues, and inadequate professional interpretation during the trial.”

It was not immediately clear how Shaikh was executed. Shaikh, who was 53 years old, is the first citizen of a European country to be executed in China in more than half a century.