A Canadian official told AFP that China has overturned the death sentence of Canadian citizen Robert Schellenberg. This may be a sign of easing diplomatic relations between the two countries as Canadian Prime Minister Carney seeks to strengthen trade ties with China.
Schellenberg was detained in 2014 for involvement in drug-related crimes. With the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver in 2018, relations between China and Canada deteriorated sharply.
Canada's arrest of Meng Wanzhou infuriated Beijing. Subsequently, Canadian businessman Michael and former diplomat Kovrig were arrested in China on espionage charges, which Ottawa condemned as retaliatory acts.
In January 2019, the Dalian Intermediate People's Court retried Schellenberg, then 36, sentencing him to death and declaring that his previous 15-year sentence for drug smuggling was too light. During the one-day retrial, the court stated that Schellenberg was a key figure in a plan to smuggle drugs to Australia.
Amnesty International called this move a “blatant violation of international law.”
Schellenberg has denied any wrongdoing.
A Canadian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that China's Supreme People's Court had overturned Schellenberg's death sentence.
Carney, who became Canadian Prime Minister last year, visited China this January as part of his global strategy to expand Canada's export markets and reduce dependence on trade with the United States.
Canadian foreign ministry spokesperson Ys said in a statement to AFP: "Global Affairs Canada is aware of the ruling made by the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China in Mr. Schellenberg’s case."
Ys stated that the ministry "will continue to provide consular services to Mr. Schellenberg and his family," adding: "Canada has consistently called for leniency in this case, as it does for all Canadians sentenced to death."