Chinese court upholds death sentence for Canadian drug smuggler

A Chinese court has upheld a death sentence against Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, a Canadian national convicted of smuggling over 222.035 kg of methamphetamines in China in 2018.

The Liaoning Provincial Higher People's Court said on Tuesday that it rejected his appeal because the facts identified in the first trial were clear, the evidence was true and sufficient, the conviction was accurate, and the sentence was appropriate.

The ruling has been submitted to the Supreme People's Court for approval.

During the second trial, the court guaranteed the rights of the appellant, Schellenberg, to defend himself and to participate in the proceedings in his own language. The court also heard his defense opinions and hired two translators for him. Officials from the Canadian Embassy in China, legislators, political advisers, and members of the general public attended the pronouncement.

In January 2019, the Dalian Intermediate People's Court ruled that Schellenberg took part in organized international drug smuggling and colluded with others in smuggling 222.035 kg of methamphetamines.

Based on the facts, nature, circumstances and social damage of the crime, the court sentenced him to death and ordered the confiscation of his personal property in accordance with the Criminal Law of China. He appealed afterward.