China sentences Canadian to death

A Chinese court on Monday sentenced to death a Canadian man suspected of drug smuggling. The court in the northeastern Liaoning province announced Robert Lloyd Schellenberg’s sentence after rejecting his plea of innocence. A Chinese court initially sentenced Schellenberg to 15 years in prison in 2016 for serving as an accessory to drug smuggling. Last month, an appeals court agreed with prosecutors that the sentence was too lenient and scheduled a retrial.

China and Canada have quarreled since December, when Canadian officials detained Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou on behalf of the United States. At least two other Canadians—Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor—remain in Chinese custody on allegations of “endangering national security.”