The federal government says “strongly condemns” the execution of four Canadians in China Earlier this year, because of what Beijing says, “drug crimes are related to drugs.”
Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has confirmed the number of reporters outside the cabinet meeting in Ottawa late Wednesday, after Canada Global Apperirca said it was aware that more Canadians were in China’s death in China.
“There are four Canadians who are executed,” she said. “We strongly condemn what happened, and of course our hearts and minds are with families.”
The minister said that all four were a double Canadian-Kinean nationals, but they would not share further details about victims or their cases to pay tribute to their family’s privacy.
Joly said she and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau personally complained to the Chinese Government for indulgence in the punishment of Canadian. She said she was in contact with Canadian officials in China and Ottawa who offer to families.
China defends the execution of 4 Canadians, says Canada to stop ‘stirring’
“We will continue to deal with China because we are still not only strongly condemned, but we will also ask for indulgence for other Canadians facing a similar situation,” she said.
Global Applys Canada has previously refused to confirm how many Canadians have been executed in China this year or when executions were executed.
“Canada strongly condemns the Chinese use of the death penalty, which is irreversible and in disagreement with the basic human dignity,” said spokeswoman Charlotte MacLeod in the statement E -For.
The Chinese Embassy in Canada defended its use of a death penalty in a separate statement to Global News, adding that the Chinese authorities “completely guaranteed the rights and interests of the Canadian nationals concerned.”
“China always imposes serious penalties for drug crimes and maintains the” zero tolerance “attitude towards drug problems,” the statement said. “The facts about the crimes committed by Canadian nationals involved in cases are clear and evidence is firm and sufficient.
“We invite the Canadian side to obey the rule of the law and the Chinese court sovereignty, we will stop presenting irresponsible remarks, working in the same direction with China, and to jointly promote the improvement and development of the relationship of the China-Canade with concrete actions.”
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The embassy did not specify what crimes of the Canadians allegedly committed or gave details about their identity. Joly would have said that China had provided evidence to support charges, but admitted that the Canadians were charged with “criminal activity, according to China, related to drugs.”
The executions were first reported by Globe and Mail, who said he had learned of them earlier this week.
Ottawa confirmed that Robert Schellenberg of Abbotsford, BC, who was arrested in 2014 for charges of drug smuggling and sentenced to death years later, was not one of the executed Canadians.
“Canada is still advocating for mercy for Robert Schellenberg and also provides him with his family consular help,” McLeod said.
The Chinese Court supports the death sentence against the BC man
A Canadian official talking about the background said Canada is aware of approximately 100 Canadian citizens who are currently depriving China.
China leads the world in executions, putting more prisoners on death than any other country in the world, according to Amnesty International.
“This shocking and inhumane execution of Canadian citizens by Chinese authorities should be an invitation to wake up to Canada,” said the General Secretary General of Canada Amnesty International Canada Ketty Nivyubandi.
The exact number of executions in China is unknown because it is classified as a state secret, but it is believed that more than 1,000 was carried out only in 2022. More than 2,000 have been reported by human rights groups and researchers in previous years.
Cornell Center on a death sentence around the world He says that “maybe thousands” are people at any time in China in China, but they added that many prisoners were executed within two months of punishment.
The death penalties and executions reported in the media are “a fraction of” imposed or performed, the organization adds.
China ‘not in the mood’ to achieve concessions or offer grace
Guy Saint-Jacques, who had previously been the Ambassador of Canada in China, said Global News that the Canadian government could not prevent China from committing two Canadians of Chinese descent for charges of drug trafficking during its term.
He said that in 2015, former Prime Minister Stephen Harper and former Governor General David Johnston personally appealed to Chinese officials, including President Xi Jinping, to ask for mercy on the eve of one execution, to no avail.
“Despite all these pleas, the Chinese continued to execute,” he said.
“I would say that our interventions at best have delayed the execution in a year.”
At least four Canadians have been sentenced to death For alleged crimes of drug smuggling between 2019 and 2020, including Schellenberg, whose sentence was upgraded in 2019 with 15 years in prison after release.
At that time, the relations between Ottawa and Beijing were at a low point because of the Canadian detention of Huawei CFO, Meng Wanzhou and Chinese next posture by Canadian Michael Kovrig and Michael asleep.
The other three prisoners – Ye Jianhui, Xu Weihong and Fan Wei – Chinese origin and their status is unknown.
Despite the efforts to improve relationships of 2021, when Wanzhou and “Two Michael” were released, the tensions reappeared after Canada imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and related components, which caused retaliation from China.
Administration of US President Donald Trump also invited Canada to take more measures against China around Fentanil and efforts to enter the car market in North America.
Trump’s own actions against China, including aggressive tariffs, have cited some analysts to believe that Beijing may want to stabilize relations with other shopping partners like Canada.
“That, in my opinion, signals that China is not in the mood for concessions, and maybe this is not something that China is interested in currently with Canada,” said Vina Uhjibulla, Vice-President of the Research and Strategy at the Canadian Foundation of the Asian-Pacific Foundation, for the Global News.
“I do not anticipate a significant improvement with regard to these signals we get from China.”
At the end of last year, Ottawa has sanctioned eight Chinese officials She has accused of “serious human rights violations” against ethnic and religious minorities, including Uyghurs, and expressed concern about Democracy in Hong Kong.
Beijing angrily accused Canada of hypocrisy, citing his historical treatment of indigenous peoples.
“We’re hard in a relationship,” said Saint-Jacques, who added that there was a possibility of resetting after a Canadian federal election this year.
He said that Canada must be a partner with other like -minded people and continue to put pressure on China to “modernize his practice” and abolish the death penalty, warning Canadians to the potential risk they face.
“The message we have to step up with Canadians is, if you are traveling to China, you better not deal with drug trade, and in every way you travel with a Canadian passport if you want to have a consular approach,” he said.
-S files from the global Marc-Andre Cossette
