China overturns death sentence for Canadian convicted of drug smuggling
In a sign of warming China-Canada ties, Beijing has reversed a Canadian citizen’s death sentence and ordered a new trial, calling the judicial ruling “independent”. The Supreme People’s Court, China’s highest judicial organ, on Friday overturned a death sentence against Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, who was detained in 2014 on suspicion of drug trafficking. Asked to…
Asked to comment on the ruling during a regular press briefing on Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said that judicial authorities “independently adjudicated” the case and “rendered a verdict in accordance with the law”.
According to Agence France-Presse, a Canadian foreign ministry spokeswoman said the authorities were “aware of a decision” by the Chinese supreme court and that the ministry would continue to provide consular services to Schellenberg and his family.
“Canada has advocated for clemency in this case, as it does for all Canadians who are sentenced to the death penalty,” she said in a statement.
