Hong Kong (CNN) -- At the conclusion of one of China's most high-profile criminal cases, the verdict and sentencing of Gu Kailai did not surprise many observers. The guilty verdict had been widely expected, as Gu had confessed, during her one-day trial earlier this month, that she and an aide poisoned British businessman Neil Heywood. The high-powered wife of deposed Chinese politician Bo Xilai had blamed a "mental breakdown" for her actions. In the end Gu escaped with her life after receiving a suspended death sentence, though she'll likely be jailed for life. Her aide, Zhang Xiaojun, also was found guilty Monday in Heywood's death and sentenced to nine years in prison.
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Gu Kailai's suspended death sentence didn't surprise China observers
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Netizens skeptical of verdict, with some questions why Gu was spared
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China executes highest number of people, Amnesty reports
"@placeholder used the death penalty in 2010 against thousands of people for a wide range of crimes that include non-violent offenses and after proceedings that did not meet international fair trial standards."