Canada condemns China after it executes 4 Canadians over 'drug-related crimes'

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Canada is strongly condemning China after the country executed four Canadians earlier this year.

Joly said the Canadians were all dual citizens and faced "charges linked to criminal activities, according to China, linked to drugs."

She said Canada would continue to engage with China and ask for leniency "for other Canadians that are facing a similar situation."

Joly said she and former prime minister Justin Trudeau had personally intervened in the cases of the four citizens who were executed. She said she would not provide more information because the families asked for privacy. 

"Of course, our hearts and minds are with the families," she said. 

Global Affairs Canada spokesperson Charlotte MacLeod said Canada "remains steadfast in its opposition to the use of the death penalty in all cases, everywhere."

MacLeod said the federal department is continuing to provide consular assistance to the families of those who were executed, but would not provide the identities of the victims. 

China's embassy in Ottawa defended the executions on Wednesday, telling CBC News in an email that "whoever violates the law of China must be held accountable in accordance with the law."

The embassy would not provide the names of the executed Canadians or the specific crimes they were alleged to have committed.

"China always imposes severe penalties on drug-related crimes and maintains a 'zero-tolerance' attitude toward the drug problem," the embassy said. "The facts of the crimes committed by the Canadian nationals involved in the cases are clear, and the evidence is solid and sufficient."

The embassy said the cases were handled "in strict accordance with the law" and that the rights and interests of the Canadians were "fully guaranteed."

China's embassy pushed back against Global Affairs Canada's condemnation of the executions and said Canada should accept the decisions made by China's judicial system if it wants to improve ties between the two countries. 

"We urge the Canadian side to respect the rule of law and China's judicial sovereignty, stop making irresponsible remarks, work in the same direction with China and jointly promote the improvement and development of China-Canada relations with concrete actions," the embassy said. 

Relations between Canada and China have been strained since the December 2018 detention of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor by Beijing, on vague national security allegations.