Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly stated that all four individuals held dual citizenship. She emphasized that Ottawa will continue efforts to seek leniency for other Canadians facing the death penalty.
— We strongly condemn the execution of four Canadian citizens convicted of drug-related crimes, — Joly said, as reported by Lianhe Zaobao.
China’s embassy in Canada denounced Ottawa’s statement as “irresponsible,” reiterating Beijing’s strict stance on drug-related offenses and its “zero tolerance” policy.
The Canadian government also confirmed that the death sentence of Robert Schellenberg, a Canadian convicted of drug trafficking in 2019, has not yet been carried out.
Tensions between China and Canada have remained high since 2018 when Huawei’s CFO, Meng Wanzhou, was arrested in Vancouver at the request of the U.S. In response, China detained two Canadian citizens. All were released in 2021.
