Overview
- Global Affairs Canada confirmed that an unspecified number of Canadian citizens were executed in China earlier this year for drug-related offenses.
- Ottawa has strongly condemned the executions, reiterating its opposition to the death penalty and requesting privacy for the families of those executed.
- China’s embassy stated that the convictions were based on solid evidence and emphasized the country’s strict stance on drug-related crimes.
- Canada continues to advocate for clemency for Robert Schellenberg, a Canadian sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling, who was not among those executed.
- The executions have further strained Canada-China relations, already tense due to trade disputes and past diplomatic conflicts, including the arrest of Meng Wanzhou in 2018.