A Beijing supreme court has recommended that a suspended death sentence being served by the wife of disgraced politician Bo Xilai for murder be commuted to life in prison.
In 2012, Gu Kailai, who in happier days had drawn comparisons with Jackie Kennedy, admitted poisoning British businessman Neil Heywood in a hotel room in the mega-city of Chongqing a year earlier.
Her crime triggered the biggest political scandal to hit China in a generation, a gripping tale of financial skullduggery, betrayal and murder involving one of the country’s most elite families.
Gu’s husband, Bo, once the chief of Chongqing and a member of the politburo that rules China, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2013 for abuse of power and bribery. His police chief Wang Lijun was jailed for 15 years for abuse of power and defection after trying to seek refuge in the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu.
Gu’s death penalty was suspended for two years, and, according to the statement from Beijing’s supreme court, it was recommended her sentence be commuted to life imprisonment because she had shown signs of repentance and hadn’t committed any further crimes.
“While serving her sentence, she has abided by prison rules… She has taken part in ideological, cultural and technical studies, and passed relevant tests,” the statement said.
It’s customary in China for suspended death sentences to be commuted to life in jail.
The statement said anyone who wanted to lodge their opinion on the proposal should contact the court.