Chinese Scientist Who Created CRISPR Babies Could Face the Death Penalty, Fellow Geneticist Warns

George Dvorsky
Yesterday 4:10pmFiled to: BIOETHICS

A British geneticist is worried that He Jiankui—the Chinese scientist responsible for the birth of genetically modified human twins—could face the death penalty for corruption and bribery charges.

When He Jiankui went missing back in early December, we suspected big trouble ahead for the rogue scientist, but as Sarah Knapton reports in the Telegraph, his predicament is even worse than we thought.

The embattled scientist is reportedly living under armed guard at a state-owned apartment in Shenzhen, China, according to geneticist Robin Lovell-Badge of the Francis Crick Institute in London, who now worries that He could face the death penalty for his indiscretions.

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The Telegraph reports that scientists in the UK close to the situation said that He could face corruption and bribery charges, both of which carry the death penalty in China. In addition, He may face charges of violating established research guidelines, which he did by implanting the genetically modified embryos in the mother instead of destroying them as per convention. In China, state guidelines carry the same legal weight as established laws, according to the Telegraph.

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Chinese scientist who genetically edited babies under armed guard amid fears he could face death penalty

By Sarah Knapton, science editor
7 JANUARY 2019 • 2:42PM

The Chinese scientist who created the world’s first genetically edited babies is living under armed guard and could face the death penalty, colleagues believe.

He Jiankui shocked the world in November when he announced he had altered embryos for seven couples during fertility treatment to protect them against contracting HIV, leading to the birth of two twin girls with engineered DNA.

Since then he has received death threats and the Chinese government has launched an investigation into his work. He has been confined to a state owned apartment in the city of Shenzhen since December.

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