BEIJING – A Canadian man sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling will appeal the verdict, his lawyer said on Tuesday, arguing that the court should not have increased his sentence given no new evidence had been introduced during his retrial.
The sentence handed down to Robert Schellenberg on Monday is another strain on relations between China and Canada, which have been at odds since early December when Canadian police arrested Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd [HWT.UL], on a US extradition warrant.
Schellenberg had appealed against a 15-year prison sentence for smuggling 222 kg of methamphetamines. But the Dalian Intermediate People’s Court in the northeastern province of Liaoning increased the sentence to death at the end of a retrial.
Schellenberg is the third Canadian to run afoul of Chinese law since Meng was arrested at the behest of US authorities as part of an investigation into alleged violations of US trade sanctions.
The two other detained Canadians are former diplomat Michael Kovrig and business consultant Michael Spavor – both held on suspicion of endangering state security.
China has not linked any of the three Canadians’ cases to Meng’s arrest.
Schellenberg’s lawyer, Zhang Dongshuo, said his client’s defense has centered around an argument there was insufficient evidence to prove he was part of a drug syndicate, or that he was involved in the smuggling of methamphetamines.
But even if the court accepted all prosecution charges, it should not have increased his sentence, given that facts the prosecution presented as new evidence had already been heard in court, Zhang told Reuters.
Earlier, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was of “extreme concern” that China had chosen to “arbitrarily apply” the death penalty. (Reuters)
