China OKs Canadian's Death Sentence; Huawei Exec Extradition Looms

A Chinese court upheld on Tuesday a Canadian man's death sentence for drug smuggling, a day before another court is due to rule on the case of another Canadian accused of spying, Yew Lun Tian, Gabriel Crossley, and David Ljunggren reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou has been detained since December 2018.

The court proceedings for the two Canadians come as lawyers in Canada representing detained chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei make a final push to convince a court there not to extradite her to the United States, where she faces charges linked to violating sanctions.

Robert Schellenberg was arrested in China in 2014 for suspected drug smuggling, convicted in 2018 and jailed for 15 years. He appealed but a court in the city of Dalian then sentenced him to death in January 2019 - a month after Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was arrested at Vancouver International Airport on a warrant from the US.

China has a world-shattering conviction record of 99%.

She was charged with misleading HSBC Holdings PLC about Huawei's business dealings in Iran, potentially causing the bank to violate American economic sanctions against Tehran. Meng, who has said she is innocent, has been fighting her extradition from under house arrest in Vancouver.

The High Court in the northeastern Chinese province of Liaoning heard Schellenberg's appeal against the death sentence in May last year and confirmed the verdict on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters by telephone after attending the hearing, Canada's ambassador to China, Dominic Barton, condemned the decision and called for China to grant clemency.

"It is not a coincidence that these are happening right now, while the case is going on in Vancouver," Barton said, referring to Schellenberg's case and that of another Canadian, Michael Spavor.

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