The federal authorities says it “strongly condemns” the execution of 4 Canadians in China earlier this 12 months over what Beijing says have been “drug-related crimes.”
International Affairs Minister Melanie Joly confirmed the quantity to reporters exterior a cupboard assembly in Ottawa late on Wednesday, after International Affairs Canada mentioned it was conscious that a number of Canadians had been put to demise in China this 12 months.
“There are 4 Canadians that have been executed,” she mentioned. “We strongly condemn what occurred, and naturally our hearts and minds are with the households.”
The minister mentioned all 4 have been twin Canadian-Chinese language residents however wouldn’t share additional particulars concerning the victims or their circumstances to honour their households’ request for privateness.
Joly mentioned she and former prime minister Justin Trudeau had personally appealed to the Chinese language authorities for leniency within the Canadians’ sentences. She mentioned she was in contact final week with Canadian officers in China and Ottawa providing help to the households.
“We are going to proceed to have interaction with China as we proceed to not solely strongly condemn but additionally ask for leniency for different Canadians going through an identical scenario,” she mentioned.
International Affairs Canada has beforehand declined to substantiate what number of Canadians had been executed in China this 12 months or when the executions had taken place.
“Canada strongly condemns China’s use of the demise penalty, which is irreversible and inconsistent with fundamental human dignity,” spokesperson Charlotte MacLeod mentioned in an emailed assertion.
The Chinese language Embassy in Canada defended its use of the demise penalty in a separate assertion to International Information, including that Chinese language authorities “totally assured the rights and pursuits of the Canadian nationals involved.”
“China all the time imposes extreme penalties on drug-related crimes and maintains a ‘zero tolerance’ perspective in the direction of the drug downside,” the assertion mentioned. “The information of the crimes dedicated by the Canadian nationals concerned within the circumstances are clear, and the proof is strong and adequate.
“We urge the Canadian aspect to respect the rule of legislation and China’s judicial sovereignty, cease making irresponsible remarks, work in the identical course with China, and collectively promote the development and growth of China-Canada relations with concrete actions.”
The embassy didn’t specify what crimes the Canadians allegedly dedicated or present particulars on their identities. Joly would say if China has supplied proof to help the fees, however acknowledged the Canadians had been accused of “prison actions, in accordance with China, linked to medicine.”
The executions have been first reported by the Globe and Mail, which mentioned it had realized about them earlier this week.
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Ottawa confirmed that Robert Schellenberg of Abbotsford, B.C., who was arrested in 2014 on drug smuggling expenses and was sentenced to demise years later, was not one of many Canadians executed.
“Canada continues to advocate for clemency for Robert Schellenberg and gives him and his household consular help,” McLeod mentioned.
A International Affairs Canada official talking on background mentioned Canada is conscious of roughly 100 Canadian residents at present being detained by China.
China leads the world in executions, placing extra prisoners to demise than another nation on the planet mixed, in accordance with Amnesty Worldwide.
“These stunning and inhumane executions of Canadian residents by Chinese language authorities must be a wake-up name for Canada,” Amnesty Worldwide Canada secretary-general Ketty Nivyabandi mentioned in an announcement.
The precise variety of executions in China is unknown as it’s categorized as a state secret, however greater than 1,000 are believed to have been carried out in 2022 alone. Greater than 2,000 have been reported by human rights teams and researchers in earlier years.
The Cornell Middle on the Dying Penalty Worldwide says “presumably hundreds” of individuals are believed to be on demise row in China at anyone time, however added many prisoners are executed inside two months of their sentence.
Dying sentences and executions reported within the media “are a fraction” of these imposed or carried out, the group provides.
China ‘not within the temper’ to make concessions or supply clemency
Man Saint-Jacques, who beforehand served as Canada’s ambassador to China, informed International Information the Canadian authorities was unable to cease China from executing two Canadians of Chinese language origin on drug trafficking expenses throughout his tenure.
He mentioned in 2015, each former prime minister Stephen Harper and former governor common David Johnston personally appealed to Chinese language officers, together with President Xi Jinping, to ask for clemency on the eve of one of many executions, to no avail.
“Regardless of all these pleas, the Chinese language proceeded with the execution,” he mentioned.
“I’d say that our interventions at greatest delayed the execution possibly by one 12 months.”
At the least 4 Canadians have been sentenced to demise for alleged drug smuggling crimes between 2019 and 2020, together with Schellenberg, whose sentence was upgraded in 2019 from 15 years in jail after a retrial.
On the time, relations between Ottawa and Beijing have been at a low level as a result of Canadian detention of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, and China’s subsequent holding of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.
The opposite three prisoners — Ye Jianhui, Xu Weihong and Fan Wei — are of Chinese language descent and their standing will not be identified.
Regardless of efforts to enhance relations since 2021, when Wanzhou and the “Two Michaels” have been launched, tensions have emerged once more after Canada imposed tariffs on Chinese language electrical automobiles and associated elements, which has sparked retaliation from China.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has additionally known as on Canada to take extra motion towards China over fentanyl and efforts to enter the North American auto market.
Trump’s personal actions towards China, together with aggressive tariffs, had led some analysts to consider Beijing could also be seeking to stabilize relations with different buying and selling companions like Canada.
“This, to me, alerts that China will not be within the temper to make any concessions, and possibly that isn’t one thing that China’s all for doing proper now with Canada,” Vina Nadjibulla, vice-president of analysis and technique on the Asia Pacific Basis of Canada, informed International Information.
“I don’t foresee a major enchancment given these alerts that we’re getting from China.”
Late final 12 months, Ottawa sanctioned eight Chinese language officers it accused of “grave human rights violations” towards ethnic and spiritual minorities, together with Uyghurs, and voiced concern about democracy in Hong Kong.
Beijing angrily accused Canada of hypocrisy, citing its historic therapy of Indigenous peoples.
“We’re at a tricky time within the relationship,” mentioned Saint-Jacques, who added there was a chance for a reset after a Canadian federal election this 12 months.
He mentioned Canada should associate with different like-minded nations and proceed to strain China to “modernize its practices” and abolish the demise penalty, whereas warning Canadians of the potential danger they face.
“The message that we have to strengthen with Canadians is, when you journey to China, you higher to not interact in drug trafficking, and by all means journey with a Canadian passport if you wish to have consular entry,” he mentioned.
—With recordsdata from International’s Marc-Andre Cossette
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