People convicted of organ trafficking in China may receive the death penalty under a draft law amendment being reviewed by the country's top legislature, official media reported Thursday.
The amendment says criminals convicted of "forced organ removal, forced organ donation or organ removal from juveniles" will face the same punishment as that for homicide, according to a report by the China Daily newspaper.
Under Chinese law, a person found guilty of homicide faces either a death sentence or at least 10 years in prison, DPA reported.
Previously, criminals convicted of forced organ removal were sentenced for illegal business operation, since there was no specific offence covering the act under criminal law, the report said.
Liu Renwen, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the black market for organ transplants in China was booming.
"Some people sell their organs for a small amount of money. Although it might be voluntary, they are not aware of the health risks," the report quoted Liu as saying.
If the draft law amendment is passed at the bimonthly meeting of the National People's Congress Standing Committee that ends Friday, the law will come into force on May 1.
About 10,000 organ transplants are performed each year in mainland China while around 1.3 million people are on organ-transplant waiting lists.
China mulls death penalty for organ traffickers
People convicted of organ trafficking in China may receive the death penalty under a draft law amendment being reviewed by the country's top legislature, official media reported Thursday.
