China executed four Canadians for drug crimes this year
Canadian authorities confirmed that four Canadians were executed in China on drug-related charges earlier this year.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said that all of them are dual citizens and their identities are retained.
A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Canada reportedly urged Ottawa to “stop making irresponsible remarks” as Pundits feared further declines in relations between the countries after years.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday it had acted under the law, while the embassy said there was “solid and sufficient” evidence of their crimes.
The embassy said that Beijing “fully guarantees the rights and interests of Canadian citizens” and urges Canada to respect “China’s judicial sovereignty.”
China does not recognize dual citizenship and takes a difficult stance on drug crimes. However, foreigners are rarely sentenced to death.
Joley said she had been hearing “very closely” for months and tried to stop the execution with other officials, including former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Canada has repeatedly called on these people to handle leniency at a high level and unwaveringly oppose the ubiquitous use of the death penalty in all cases,” said Charlotte MacLeod, a spokesman for Global Affairs of Canada.
China has sentenced death toll on serious crimes related to drugs, corruption and espionage. Despite the confidentiality of the number of executions, human rights groups believe China is one of the highest execution rates in the world.
“These shocking and inhumane enforcement of Canadian authorities should be a wake-up call for Canada,” said Ketty Nivyabandi of Amnesty Canada. “We have suffered destruction for the families of victims and we hold them in our hearts as they try to deal with the unimaginable.”
“Our idea is also attributed to the relatives of Canadian citizens who fallen in death row or in Chinese prison systems.”
In 2019, the Canadian country Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was sentenced to death for drug smuggling in a high-profile case condemned by the Canadian government. He was not one of the Canadians executed.
“We will not only continue to be strongly condemned, but also demand leniency from other Canadians facing similar situations,” Joley said Wednesday.
Relations between Canada and China have been cold since 2018. Shortly thereafter, China arrested two Canadians, both of which are now released.
In 2023, Canadian media released reports, many of which were based on leaked intelligence, detailing Chinese intervention in the country’s federal elections. China denied the reports, calling them “bad and defamatory.”
Recently, China imposed retaliatory tariffs on some Canadian farms and grain imports after Ottawa imposed Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminum.
