‘Cruel and inhuman punishment’: Canada condemns Chinese court that upheld the death sentence of a Canadian man on drug charges

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Canada’s foreign minister has criticized the Chinese court that upheld the death sentence of a Canadian man accused of drug smuggling, in a case that has been one of the causes of a growing diplomatic row between Beijing and Ottawa.

Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, a Canadian citizen, was arrested in 2014 and first sentenced to 15 years in prison in late 2018. He appealed but a court in the city of Dalian sentenced him to death in January 2019.

Canada strongly condemns China’s decision to support the death penalty against Robert Schellenberg. We have repeatedly expressed to China our resolute opposition to this cruel and inhuman punishment and will continue to communicate with Chinese officials at the highest levels to extend clemency to Mr. Schellenberg. “We oppose the death penalty in all cases, and condemn the arbitrary nature of Mr Schellenberg’s punishment,” said Marc Garneau, Canada’s foreign minister, in a statement.

Schellenberg’s court ruling came a month after Huawei CEO Meng Wanzhou was arrested at Vancouver International Airport on a US warrant, accused of misleading HSBC Holdings about Huawei’s business dealings in Iran, potentially causing the bank to violate US economic sanctions.

Ms. Meng, who has said she is innocent, was fighting extradition from house arrest in Vancouver.

Schellenberg again appealed the 2019 ruling in May last year in the Supreme Court of the northeastern province of Liaoning. However, the court heard the order and confirmed the ruling on Tuesday.

Canada condemned the decision and noted that the recent arrests of Canadians were a form of retaliation against China after the arrest of the Huawei CEO. After Ms Meng’s arrest, with the exception of Schellenberg, another Canadian, Michael Spavor, was arrested in China and charged with espionage in June last year.

A Chinese court is scheduled to hear the Spavor case on Wednesday.

Canada’s Ambassador to China Dominic Barton told reporters: “It is no coincidence that this is happening now, while the case [of Ms Meng] Happening in Vancouver.”

China has dismissed suggestions that the Canadians’ cases in China are linked to Ms Meng’s case in Canada, although Beijing has warned of unspecified consequences unless she is released.

Additional reporting by agencies

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