ZCZC
BFF-13
CHINA-CANADA-DIPLOMACY
Canadian man fights China death penalty in appeal
BEIJING, May 9, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – A Chinese court was expected to hold a
hearing Thursday on a Canadian man’s appeal against a death sentence for drug
smuggling in a case that has deepened a diplomatic spat between Beijing and
Ottawa.
Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, 36, was sentenced to death in January after a
court deemed his previous 15-year prison sentence too lenient.
The appeal hearing comes a day after a top executive of Chinese telecom
giant Huawei, Meng Wanzhou, appeared in court in Canada to fight a US
extradition bid that triggered the diplomatic storm.
Schellenberg’s case is seen as potential leverage for Meng, who was
arrested on a US extradition request related to Iran sanctions violations —
a link that Beijing has repeatedly denied.
Following the Huawei executive’s arrest in December, China detained former
Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, in what
observers saw as retaliation.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said China had “chosen to
arbitrarily” sentence Schellenberg to death and his government has pleaded
for clemency.
Schellenberg’s appeal was expected to take place at the Dalian
Intermediate People’s Court in northeastern Liaoning province.
China is “a country ruled by law” and would “protect the legal rights” of
Schellenberg, the Chinese foreign ministry said.
Canadian officials planned to attend Thursday’s hearing.
Ottawa said Wednesday it was “extremely concerned that China has chosen to
apply the death penalty, a cruel and inhumane punishment”.
– Canadians detained –
Schellenberg was originally sentenced to 15 years in prison and a 150,000
yuan ($22,000) forfeiture in November.
But following an appeal, the high court in Liaoning ruled in December that
the sentence was too lenient given the severity of his crimes.
About a month later, his sentence was changed to capital punishment.
China has executed foreigners for drug-related crimes in the past,
including a Japanese national in 2014, a Filipina in 2013, and a Briton in
2009.
Last week, another Canadian, Fan Wei, was sentenced to death for drug
trafficking in a separate case in southern China.
Kovrig and Spavor, meanwhile, have been denied access to lawyers and
allowed only monthly consular visits.
Days after Canada launched the extradition process against Meng in March,
China announced it suspected Kovrig of spying and stealing state secrets. It
alleged fellow Canadian Spavor had provided him with intelligence.
Meanwhile, Huawei’s Meng was back in court in Vancouver on Wednesday, with
her lawyers arguing that the US case was politically motivated.
Her firm says she is innocent.
Huawei is also in the US crosshairs as Washington seeks to convince
Western nations to shun the telecom firm over security concerns.
The diplomatic row appears to have has spilled over into the economic
arena: China has banned Canadian canola and pork shipments worth billions of
dollars.
Ottawa has pressed Washington — which is locked in a trade dispute with
China — to step up its pressure on behalf of the detained Canadians.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 0809 hrs