Canadian authorities have confirmed that four Canadian dual citizens were executed in China earlier this year on drug-related charges, sparking outrage from Canadian officials and human rights groups.
Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announced the executions on Wednesday, stating that the identities of the individuals have been withheld at the request of their families.
Joly strongly condemned the executions, calling them “irreversible and inconsistent with basic human dignity”, and revealed that she had personally pleaded for leniency from Chinese authorities.
In response, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Canada defended the decision, asserting that the evidence against the individuals was “solid and sufficient.” The embassy urged Canada to “stop making irresponsible remarks” and respect China’s judicial sovereignty.
“China fully guaranteed the rights and interests of the Canadian nationals concerned,” the embassy stated.
China, which does not recognize dual citizenship, enforces a strict stance on drug offenses, with drug trafficking among the crimes punishable by the death penalty. While the exact number of executions in China remains secret, human rights organizations believe the country has one of the highest execution rates in the world.
Joly stated that she and other Canadian officials, including former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, had been closely monitoring the cases for months and had made multiple appeals to Chinese authorities in an effort to halt the executions.
In a statement, Charlotte MacLeod, spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, reaffirmed Canada’s opposition to the death penalty, saying:
“Canada has repeatedly called for clemency for these individuals at the senior-most levels and remains steadfast in its opposition to the use of the death penalty in all cases, everywhere.”
The executions have sparked outrage among human rights organizations, with Amnesty International Canada calling the killings “shocking and inhumane.”
“These executions should be a wake-up call for Canada,” said Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada. “We are devastated for the families of the victims, and we hold them in our hearts as they try to process the unimaginable.”
Nivyabandi also expressed concern for other Canadian citizens facing execution in China, stating:
“Our thoughts also go to the loved ones of Canadian citizens whom China is holding on death row or whose whereabouts in the Chinese prison system are unknown.”
While China rarely carries out the death penalty on foreign nationals, this case underscores ongoing tensions between Beijing and Ottawa and has reignited international criticism of China’s use of capital punishment.
