China has sparked global outrage after it "inhumanely" executed four Canadian nationals accused of drug smuggling. The mass executions by Beijing's firing squads have been fiercely condemned by activists and officials.
Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said that she and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had pleaded for clemency on behalf of the dual citizens implicated in the alleged crimes. However, China's embassy in Ottawa defended the executions, citing the severity of drug-related offenses and saying that China does not recognize dual citizenship. Amnesty International condemned the executions as cruel and inhumane and noted that China carried out thousands of executions in 2023, according to the most recent data.
Cold-Blooded Murder
"These shocking and inhumane executions of Canadian citizens by Chinese authorities should be a wake-up call for Canada," Amnesty International's head for English-speaking Canada, Ketty Nivyabandi, said in a statement.
China is believed to execute more prisoners annually than all other countries combined, though the exact figures remain a closely guarded state secret.
While executions have traditionally been conducted by gunshot, lethal injections have been introduced in recent years.
Addressing reporters in Ottawa, Joly said that the Canadian government "strongly condemned" the latest executions. "I asked personally for leniency... They were all dual citizens," she said, emphasizing that Canada routinely requests clemency for its citizens sentenced to death in other countries.
She said that the families had requested the government not to reveal the identities of the four people.
Global Affairs spokeswoman Charlotte MacLeod confirmed that they were still providing consular support to the families and urged the media to respect their privacy.
She also added that Ottawa continued to push for clemency for Robert Schellenberg, a Canadian sentenced to death for drug smuggling, who was not among those recently executed.
Meanwhile, former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig criticized China's actions, calling the executions of Canadian nationals "completely unnecessary" in an interview with CTV News.
"Any hopes that China might be willing to extend some olive branches or try to heal rifts in the relationship, to try to thaw things out, I think this pretty clearly demonstrates that that is not terribly high on its list of priorities," he said.
China Shows No Mercy
Around 100 Canadians are currently detained in China, with many facing charges related to drug offenses, according to Canadian media reports. On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning emphasized that tackling drug crimes is a collective global responsibility.
She called on Canada to "respect the spirit of the rule of law and stop interfering in China's judicial sovereignty."
Mao also said that China applies the law equally to all people, regardless of nationality, ensuring their cases are handled fairly and in accordance with strict legal procedures while protecting their rights.
"China always imposes severe penalties on drug-related crimes," a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy said.
"The facts of the crimes committed by the Canadian nationals involved in the cases are clear, and the evidence is solid and sufficient."
Relations between Canada and China have remained strained since 2018, when Huawei's Chief Financial Officer, Meng Wanzhou, was arrested in Vancouver at the request of the United States. Shortly after her detention, China took two Canadian citizens into custody.
The two Canadians were imprisoned in China following Meng's arrest. However, they were released and returned to Canada in 2021—the same day Meng flew back to China after reaching an agreement with U.S. authorities regarding her case.
