Canada has confirmed that four Canadians – dual citizens whose names were not disclosed – were executed in China earlier this year for drug-related crimes, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said, on Thursday, the 20th of March, according to the BBC.
China’s foreign ministry said on Thursday it had acted “in accordance with the law”, while the Chinese embassy in Canada said there was “compelling and sufficient” evidence of their crimes.
BEIJING HAS “FULLY GUARANTEED THE RIGHTS AND INTERESTS OF THE CANADIAN CITIZENS CONCERNED”, THE EMBASSY SAID, CALLING ON CANADA TO RESPECT “THE SOVEREIGNTY OF CHINESE COURTS”.
China does not recognise dual nationality and takes a tough stance on drug crimes. However, the death penalty is rarely imposed on foreigners.
The Foreign Minister said she had been following these cases “very closely” for months and, together with other officials including former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, had tried to stop executions.
In a statement to the Canadian media, Charlotte MacLeod, spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, said that Canada “has repeatedly called for clemency for these individuals at the highest level and remains steadfastly opposed to the death penalty in all cases and everywhere”.
China imposes the death penalty for serious crimes, including those related to drugs, corruption and espionage. Although the number of executions is kept secret, human rights groups believe that China has one of the highest execution rates in the world.
Amnesty International Canada called the executions “shocking and inhuman” and called on Canada to take action.
“We will continue not only to condemn in the strongest terms, but also to ask for clemency for other Canadians in similar situations,” Joly said on Wednesday.
A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Canada has reportedly called on Ottawa to “stop making irresponsible comments” as experts fear a further deterioration in relations between the two countries after years of tensions.
Canada-China relations have been strained since 2018, when Canada arrested the head of a Chinese telecoms company following a US extradition request, leading to the arrest of two Canadians by China. Tensions rose in 2023 over reports of Chinese interference in Canadian elections, which China denied, calling the allegations “baseless and defamatory”.
Recently, trade disputes escalated when the two countries imposed tariffs on each other’s goods.