This photo taken on January 14, 2019 shows the Dalian Intermediate People’s Court before the retrial of Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg on drug trafficking charges, in Dalian, China’s northeast Liaoning province. – A Chinese court’s decision to impose the death penalty on a convicted Canadian drug smuggler has escalated a diplomatic row that experts say has descended into a high-stakes game of “hostage politics”. (Photo by ELIZABETH LAW / AFP)
China has overturned a death sentence for Canadian citizen Robert Lloyd Schellenberg who has been convicted of drug charges, according to multiple media reports on Feb. 6.
The Supreme People’s Court of China overturned the B.C. native’s death sentence on Feb. 6, with Schellenberg’s lawyer reportedly saying that the case will be retried.
Global Affairs Canada (GAC) said it is aware of “a decision” on the case and noted that Ottawa has long supported “clemency” for Schellenberg and for all Canadians sentenced to death.
“Due to privacy considerations, no further information can be provided,” spokesperson Clémence Grevey told The Epoch Times.
“GAC will continue to provide consular services to Mr. Schellenberg and to his family.”
Schellenberg was arrested in December 2014 on drug trafficking charges and sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2018. However, in the aftermath of Canada arresting Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. extradition request in December 2018, China changed Schellenberg’s sentence to a death sentence, and also detained Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.
Kovrig and Spavor were released by China in 2021 after the United States dropped charges against Meng and she departed from Canada.
The overturning of Schellenberg’s sentence comes just weeks after Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Beijing for meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and other officials. The trip resulted in an agreement-in-principle where Canada will slash 100 percent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles to 6.1 percent for up to 49,000 in the first year, in return for Beijing agreeing to cut retaliatory tariffs it previously placed on Canadian agricultural and seafood products.
Beijing and Ottawa also agreed to work more closely on security, energy, finance, green technology, law enforcement cooperation, trade, and tourism.