4 Canadians have been executed in China on drug-related fees earlier this yr, Canadian authorities have confirmed.

All of them have been twin residents and their identities have been withheld, Canada’s overseas minister Mélanie Joly mentioned.

A spokesperson for the Chinese language embassy in Canada reportedly urged Ottawa to “cease making irresponsible remarks”, as pundits feared an additional downturn in relations between the international locations after years of pressure.

China’s overseas ministry mentioned on Thursday that it had acted “in accordance with the regulation”, whereas the embassy mentioned there was “strong and adequate” proof for his or her crimes.

Beijing had “totally assured the rights and pursuits of the Canadian nationals involved”, the embassy mentioned, urging Canada to respect “China’s judicial sovereignty”.

China doesn’t recognise twin citizenship and takes a tricky stance on drug crimes. Nevertheless, it is uncommon for the demise penalty to be carried out on foreigners.

Joly mentioned she had been following the circumstances “very carefully” for months and had tried with different officers, together with former prime minister Justin Trudeau, to cease the executions.

In an announcement to Canadian media, World Affairs Canada spokesperson Charlotte MacLeod mentioned Canada had “repeatedly known as for clemency for these people on the senior-most ranges and stays steadfast in its opposition to the usage of the demise penalty in all circumstances, all over the place”.

China imposes the demise penalty on critical crimes together with these associated to medication, corruption and espionage. Whereas the variety of executions are saved secret, human rights teams imagine China has one of many highest execution charges on this planet.

“These surprising and inhumane executions of Canadian residents by Chinese language authorities ought to be a wake-up name for Canada,” mentioned Ketty Nivyabandi from Amnesty Worldwide Canada. “We’re devastated for the households of the victims, and we maintain them in our hearts as they attempt to course of the unimaginable.”

“Our ideas additionally go to the family members of Canadian residents whom China is holding on demise row or whose whereabouts within the Chinese language jail system are unknown.”

In 2019, Canadian nationwide Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was sentenced to demise in China for drug smuggling, in a high-profile case condemned by the Canadian authorities. He was not among the many Canadians that have been executed.

“We’ll proceed to not solely strongly condemn but in addition ask for leniency for different Canadians which are dealing with comparable conditions,” Joly mentioned on Wednesday.

Relations between Canada and China have been icy since 2018 after Canada detained a Chinese language telecom government, Meng Wanzhou, on a US extradition request. China arrested two Canadians shortly afterwards, each of whom have now been launched.

In 2023, Canadian media launched experiences, many based mostly on leaked intelligence, about detailed claims of Chinese language meddling within the nation’s federal elections. China denied the experiences, calling them “baseless and defamatory”.

Extra lately, China imposed retaliatory tariffs on some Canadian farm and meals imports after Ottawa levied Chinese language electrical automobiles, metal and aluminium.