CHINA “inhumanely” executed four Canadian citizens on drug smuggling charges earlier this year, according to reports.
All four were dual citizens, according to Canada’s Foreign Minister, who also demands leniency for other Canadians facing similar heinous fates.
Melanie Joly told reporters, “There are four Canadians who have been executed, so we strongly condemn what happened.”
Joly added that all four had been convicted of drug offenses.
The Canadian Foreign Ministry also announced that Robert Schellenberg, a Canadian man sentenced to death in 2019 for alleged drug smuggling, has been spared execution.
Mr Schellenberg has always maintained his innocence, insisting that he came to China as a “tourist.”
At the time of his sentencing, experts claimed that Schellenberg was being used as a political pawn in a larger conflict between China, Canada, and the United States.
Relations between the countries have been strained since 2018, when Meng Wanzhou, the Chief Financial Officer of Chinese telecoms firm Huawei, was detained in Vancouver at Washington’s request.
Shortly after, China arrested two Canadians in what appeared to be an act of vengeance.
Meng and the Canadian duo were released in 2021.
China said on Thursday that it acted “in accordance with the law” and that the Canadians had been convicted of narcotics offenses, stating that “combating drug crimes is the common responsibility of all countries”.
“China is a country that follows the rule of law,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning stated.
She disclosed that Beijing “treats defendants of different nationalities equally without discrimination” or “handles cases fairly in strict accordance with the law.”
This country additionally “protects the legitimate rights of the parties concerned as well as the consular rights of the Canadian side, in accordance with the law” , according to Mao.
Joly of Canada stated that she and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked China for leniency.
China considers death penalty statistics to be state secrets, despite the fact that rights groups believe thousands of people are brutally executed in the country each year.
Beijing announced this week that a former Chinese engineer had been sentenced to death for leaking state secrets to a foreign power.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that combating drug-related offenses is the responsibility of all countries, adding that Canada should “respect the spirit of the rule of law and stop interfering in China’s judicial sovereignty”.
Mao added that China treats all accused people equally, regardless of nationality, and handles their cases fairly and strictly while protecting their rights.
The Chinese embassy in Ottawa issued a statement claiming Canada was making irresponsible remarks.
Without confirming the executions, it stated: “China has always imposed severe penalties on drug-related crimes and maintains a ‘zero tolerance’ attitude towards the drug problem.”
Just a few weeks ago, Beijing announced tariffs on more than $2.6 billion in Canadian agricultural and food products.
This was a brutal retaliation for Ottawa’s levies on Chinese electric vehicles, steel, and aluminum products last year.
