🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 16 (from laksa026)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa016.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c204ywyl4kvo\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c204ywyl4kvo\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c204ywyl4kvo","crawl_time":1774275156,"first_indexed_time":1742442574,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,bbc!www,\/news\/articles\/c204ywyl4kvo s443","src_root_hash":"1643509356818581016","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"China executed four Canadians for drug crimes this year - Ottawa","meta_descriptions":["The Chinese embassy in Canada said evidence for the Canadians' crimes was \"solid and sufficient\"."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"20 March 2025\nKoh Ewe\nBBC News\nGetty Images\nThe four executed Canadians were dual citizens, authorities say\nFour Canadians were executed in China on drug-related charges earlier this year, Canadian authorities have confirmed.\nAll of them were dual citizens and their identities have been withheld, Canada's foreign minister Mélanie Joly said.\nA spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Canada urged Ottawa to \"stop making irresponsible remarks\", as pundits feared a further downturn in relations between the countries after years of strain.\nChina's foreign ministry said on Thursday that it had acted \"in accordance with the law\", while the embassy said there was \"solid and sufficient\" evidence for their crimes.\nBeijing had \"fully guaranteed the rights and interests of the Canadian nationals concerned\", the embassy said, urging Canada to respect \"China's judicial sovereignty\".\nChina does not recognise dual citizenship and takes a tough stance on drug crimes. However, it's rare for the death penalty to be carried out on foreigners.\nJoly said she had been following the cases \"very closely\" for months and had tried with other officials, including former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to stop the executions.\nIn a statement to Canadian media, Global Affairs Canada spokeswoman Charlotte MacLeod said Canada had \"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\".\nChina imposes the death penalty on serious crimes including those related to drugs, corruption and espionage. While the number of executions are kept secret, human rights groups believe China has one of the highest execution rates in the world.\n\"These shocking and inhumane executions of Canadian citizens by Chinese authorities should be a wake-up call for Canada,\" said Ketty Nivyabandi, from 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.\n\"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.\"\nIn 2019, Canadian national Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling, in a high-profile case condemned by the Canadian government. He was not among the Canadians who were executed.\n\"We'll continue to not only strongly condemn but also ask for leniency for other Canadians that are facing similar situations,\" Joly said on Wednesday.\nRelations between Canada and China have been icy since 2018, after Canada detained a Chinese telecom executive, Meng Wanzhou, on a US extradition request. China arrested two Canadians shortly afterwards, both of whom have now been released.\nIn 2023, Canadian media released reports, many based on leaked intelligence, about detailed claims of Chinese meddling in the country's federal elections. China denied the reports, calling them \"baseless and defamatory\".\nMore recently, China imposed retaliatory tariffs on some Canadian farm and food imports after Ottawa placed levies on Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminium.","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to content](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c204ywyl4kvo#main-content)\n\n[Register](https:\/\/session.bbc.com\/session?action=register&userOrigin=BBCS_BBC&ptrt=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Farticles%2Fc204ywyl4kvo)\n\n[Sign In](https:\/\/session.bbc.com\/session?userOrigin=BBCS_BBC&ptrt=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Farticles%2Fc204ywyl4kvo)\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/)\n- [News](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news)\n- [Sport](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sport)\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/business)\n- [Technology](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/technology)\n- [Health](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/health)\n- [Culture](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/culture)\n- [Arts](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/arts)\n- [Travel](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel)\n- [Earth](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future-planet)\n- [Audio](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/audio)\n- [Video](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/video)\n- [Live](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/live)\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/home)\n- [News](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news)\n  - [US & Canada](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/us-canada)\n  - [UK](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/uk)\n    - [UK Politics](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/politics)\n    - [England](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/england)\n    - [N. Ireland](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/northern_ireland)\n      - [N. Ireland Politics](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/northern_ireland\/northern_ireland_politics)\n    - [Scotland](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/scotland)\n      - [Scotland Politics](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/scotland\/scotland_politics)\n    - [Wales](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/wales)\n      - [Wales Politics](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/wales\/wales_politics)\n  - [Africa](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/africa)\n  - [Asia](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/asia)\n    - [China](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/asia\/china)\n    - [India](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/asia\/india)\n  - [Australia](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/australia)\n  - [Europe](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/europe)\n  - [Latin America](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/latin_america)\n  - [Middle East](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/middle_east)\n  - [In Pictures](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/in_pictures)\n  - [BBC InDepth](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/bbcindepth)\n  - [BBC Verify](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/bbcverify)\n- [Sport](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sport)\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/business)\n  - [World of Business](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/business\/world-of-business)\n  - [Technology of Business](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/business\/technology-of-business)\n  - [NYSE Opening Bell](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/business\/opening-bell)\n- [Technology](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/technology)\n  - [Artificial Intelligence](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/technology\/artificial-intelligence)\n  - [AI v the Mind](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/technology\/ai-v-the-mind)\n- [Health](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/health)\n- [Culture](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/culture)\n  - [Film & TV](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/culture\/film-tv)\n  - [Music](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/culture\/music)\n  - [Art & Design](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/culture\/art)\n  - [Style](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/culture\/style)\n  - [Books](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/culture\/books)\n  - [Entertainment News](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/culture\/entertainment-news)\n- [Arts](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/arts)\n  - [Arts in Motion](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/arts\/arts-in-motion)\n- [Travel](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel)\n  - [Destinations](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel\/destinations)\n    - [Africa](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel\/destinations\/africa)\n    - [Antarctica](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel\/destinations\/antarctica)\n    - [Asia](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel\/destinations\/asia)\n    - [Australia and Pacific](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel\/destinations\/australia-and-pacific)\n    - [Caribbean & Bermuda](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel\/destinations\/caribbean)\n    - [Central America](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel\/destinations\/central-america)\n    - [Europe](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel\/destinations\/europe)\n    - [Middle East](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel\/destinations\/middle-east)\n    - [North America](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel\/destinations\/north-america)\n    - [South America](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel\/destinations\/south-america)\n  - [World’s Table](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel\/worlds-table)\n  - [Culture & Experiences](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel\/cultural-experiences)\n  - [Adventures](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel\/adventures)\n  - [The SpeciaList](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel\/specialist)\n- [Earth](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future-planet)\n  - [Science](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/innovation\/science)\n  - [Natural Wonders](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future-planet\/natural-wonders)\n  - [Climate Solutions](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future-planet\/solutions)\n  - [Sustainable Business](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future-planet\/sustainable-business)\n  - [Green Living](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future-planet\/green-living)\n- [Audio](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/audio)\n  - [Podcast Categories](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/audio\/categories)\n  - [Radio](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/audio\/stations)\n  - [Audio FAQs](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/undefined)\n- [Video](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/video)\n  - [BBC Maestro](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/video\/bbc-maestro)\n  - [Discover the World](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/video\/discover-the-world)\n- [Live](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/live)\n  - [Live News](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/live\/news)\n  - [Live Sport](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/live\/sport)\n\n[Home](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/)\n\nNews\n\n[Sport](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sport)\n\nBusiness\n\nTechnology\n\n[Health](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/health)\n\nCulture\n\nArts\n\nTravel\n\nEarth\n\nAudio\n\nVideo\n\nLive\n\n[Weather](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/weather)\n\n[Newsletters](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/newsletters)\n\n# China executed four Canadians for drug crimes, says Ottawa\n20 March 2025\n\nShare\n\nSave\n\nKoh EweBBC News\n\nShare\n\nSave\n\n![Getty Images A Canadian flag flies above a grey building against the blue sky](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/21ea\/live\/69a63b00-0536-11f0-a3ab-112a2275669f.jpg.webp)Getty Images\n\nThe four executed Canadians were dual citizens, authorities say\n\nFour Canadians were executed in China on drug-related charges earlier this year, Canadian authorities have confirmed.\n\nAll of them were dual citizens and their identities have been withheld, Canada's foreign minister Mélanie Joly said.\n\nA spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Canada urged Ottawa to \"stop making irresponsible remarks\", as pundits feared a further downturn in relations between the countries after years of strain.\n\nChina's foreign ministry said on Thursday that it had acted \"in accordance with the law\", while the embassy said there was \"solid and sufficient\" evidence for their crimes.\n\nBeijing had \"fully guaranteed the rights and interests of the Canadian nationals concerned\", the embassy said, urging Canada to respect \"China's judicial sovereignty\".\n\nChina does not recognise dual citizenship and takes a tough stance on drug crimes. However, it's rare for the death penalty to be carried out on foreigners.\n\nJoly said she had been following the cases \"very closely\" for months and had tried with other officials, including former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to stop the executions.\n\nIn a statement to Canadian media, Global Affairs Canada spokeswoman Charlotte MacLeod said Canada had \"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\".\n\nChina imposes the death penalty on serious crimes including those related to drugs, corruption and espionage. While the number of executions are kept secret, human rights groups believe China has one of the highest execution rates in the world.\n\n\"These shocking and inhumane executions of Canadian citizens by Chinese authorities should be a wake-up call for Canada,\" said Ketty Nivyabandi, from 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.\n\n\"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.\"\n\nIn 2019, Canadian national Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling, in a high-profile case condemned by the Canadian government. He was not among the Canadians who were executed.\n\n\"We'll continue to not only strongly condemn but also ask for leniency for other Canadians that are facing similar situations,\" Joly said on Wednesday.\n\nRelations between Canada and China have been icy since 2018, after Canada detained a Chinese telecom executive, Meng Wanzhou, on a US extradition request. China arrested two Canadians shortly afterwards, both of whom have now been released.\n\nIn 2023, Canadian media released reports, many based on leaked intelligence, about detailed claims of Chinese meddling in the country's federal elections. China denied the reports, calling them \"baseless and defamatory\".\n\nMore recently, China imposed retaliatory tariffs on some Canadian farm and food imports after Ottawa placed levies on Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminium.\n\n[What to know about the Canada-China meddling row](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-64813182)\n\n[China expels Canadian diplomat in tit-for-tat move](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-65529185)\n\n[The PowerPoint that sparked an international row](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-54270739)\n\n[Asia](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/topics\/c5rznn0nvvyt)\n\n[China](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/asia\/china)\n\n[Canada](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/topics\/cywd23g0q41t)\n\n***\nRelated\n\n[Oil falls and shares rebound after Trump says talks have been held to end war](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/czex56kwxxzo)\n\n[HK police can now demand phone passwords under new national security rules](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/ce8j9yj52lro)\n\n[Pop megastars BTS electrify historic centre of Seoul with comeback concert](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cj371jr203ko)\n\n***\nMore from the BBC\n\n[14 hrs ago ![The Supreme Court of Canada sign with the name in both English and French in the foreground, with the court building behind it on a sunny day in Ottowa in May 2025. ](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/3e32\/live\/38e035b0-26b5-11f1-934f-036468834728.jpg.webp) How a ban on religious symbols has triggered a Canadian constitutional debate Quebec's law to regulate religious symbols goes to the Supreme Court in a constitutional test case. 14 hrs ago](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c78j8vk3r50o)\n\n[2 days ago ![File photo of women wearing headscarves sittng at a table eating from white containers in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on July 06, 2024.](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/1f26\/live\/2857d070-260d-11f1-934f-036468834728.jpg.webp) A secularism law some women say makes them feel like 'outsiders' heads to Canada's top court Canada's Supreme Court will hear a challenge to Quebec's Bill 21, which bars some public sector workers, including teachers, from wearing religious symbols. 2 days ago](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/ceqw5j5lx32o)\n\n[2 days ago ![Louise Minchin holds up her bandaged hands while lying in a hospital bed.](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1024x1024\/p0hq72jn.png.webp) Louise Minchin taken to hospital with frostbite during Arctic challenge The 57-year-old had been attempting to cycle 300 miles in three days in Canada's Northwestern Territories. 2 days ago](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cddq40lypldo)\n\n[2 days ago ![A golden labrador - Maggie- on a beach, looking at a brown bottle, which has a blue note sticking out the top.](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1024x1024\/p0hq72jn.png.webp) Dog finds Canadian message in a bottle on Aberdeenshire beach Mike Scott is trying to contact the sender after Maggie the labrador found the bottle at St Cyrus. 2 days ago](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/ckg1g4ek3y0o)\n\n[3 days ago ![Rangers' Derek Cornelius in training](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/images\/ic\/1024x1024\/p0hq72jn.png.webp) Rohl throws doubt on 'direction' of Cornelius' Rangers career Head coach Danny Rohl casts doubt on Derek Cornelius' future with Rangers after admitting that the on-loan Marseille centre-half has been training alone and has been released early to join up with Canada's national squad. 3 days ago](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sport\/football\/articles\/cje4242elyno)\n***\n- [Home](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/)\n- [News](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news)\n- [Sport](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sport)\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/business)\n- [Technology](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/technology)\n- [Health](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/health)\n- [Culture](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/culture)\n- [Arts](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/arts)\n- [Travel](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel)\n- [Earth](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future-planet)\n- [Audio](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/audio)\n- [Video](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/video)\n- [Live](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/live)\n- [Weather](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/weather)\n- [BBC Shop](https:\/\/shop.bbc.com\/)\n- [BritBox](https:\/\/www.britbox.com\/?utm_source=bbc.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=footer)\n\nBBC in other languages\n\n### The BBC is in multiple languages\n#### Read the BBC In your own language\n[Oduu Afaan Oromootiin](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/afaanoromoo)\n\n[Amharic ዜና በአማርኛ](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/amharic)\n\n[Arabic عربي](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/arabic)\n\n[Azeri AZƏRBAYCAN](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/azeri)\n\n[Bangla বাংলা](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bengali)\n\n[Burmese မြန်မာ](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/burmese)\n\n[Chinese 中文网](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/zhongwen\/simp)\n\n[Dari دری](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/dari)\n\n[French AFRIQUE](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/afrique)\n\n[Hausa HAUSA](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/hausa)\n\n[Hindi हिन्दी](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/hindi)\n\n[Gaelic NAIDHEACHDAN](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/naidheachdan)\n\n[Gujarati ગુજરાતીમાં સમાચાર](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/gujarati)\n\n[Igbo AKỤKỌ N’IGBO](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/igbo)\n\n[Indonesian INDONESIA](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/indonesia)\n\n[Japanese 日本語](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/japanese)\n\n[Kinyarwanda GAHUZA](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/gahuza)\n\n[Kirundi KIRUNDI](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/gahuza)\n\n[Korean 한국어](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/korean)\n\n[Kyrgyz Кыргыз](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/kyrgyz)\n\n[Marathi मराठी](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/marathi)\n\n[Nepali नेपाली](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/nepali)\n\n[Noticias para hispanoparlantes](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/mundo)\n\n[Pashto پښتو](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/pashto)\n\n[Persian فارسی](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/persian)\n\n[Pidgin](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/pidgin)\n\n[Polish PO POLSKU](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/polska)\n\n[Portuguese BRASIL](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/portuguese)\n\n[Punjabi ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਖ਼ਬਰਾਂ](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/punjabi)\n\n[Russian НА РУССКОМ](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/russian)\n\n[Serbian NA SRPSKOM](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/serbian\/lat)\n\n[Sinhala සිංහල](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sinhala)\n\n[Somali SOMALI](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/somali)\n\n[Swahili HABARI KWA KISWAHILI](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/swahili)\n\n[Tamil தமிழில் செய்திகள்](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/tamil)\n\n[Telugu తెలుగు వార్తలు](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/telugu)\n\n[Thai ข่าวภาษาไทย](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/thai)\n\n[Tigrinya ዜና ብትግርኛ](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/tigrinya)\n\n[Turkish TÜRKÇE](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/turkce)\n\n[Ukrainian УКРАЇНСЬКA](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/ukrainian)\n\n[Urdu اردو](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/urdu)\n\n[Uzbek O'ZBEK](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/uzbek)\n\n[Vietnamese TIẾNG VIỆT](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/vietnamese)\n\n[Welsh NEWYDDION](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/cymrufyw)\n\n[Yoruba ÌRÒYÌN NÍ YORÙBÁ](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/yoruba)\n\nFollow BBC on:\n\n- [Terms of Use](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/pages\/terms-of-use)\n- [Subscription Terms](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/pages\/subscription-terms)\n- [About the BBC](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/aboutthebbc)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/pages\/privacy-policy)\n- [Cookies](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/usingthebbc\/cookies\/)\n- [Accessibility Help](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/accessibility\/)\n- [Contact the BBC](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/contact)\n- [Advertise with us](https:\/\/advertising.bbcstudios.com\/)\n- [Do not share or sell my info](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/usingthebbc\/cookies\/how-can-i-change-my-bbc-cookie-settings\/)\n- [BBC.com Help & FAQs](https:\/\/help.bbc.com\/hc\/)\n- [Content Index](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/pages\/content-index)\n- [Set Preferred Source](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future\/article\/20260128-how-to-make-google-put-trusted-sources-up-top-when-you-search)\n\nCopyright 2026 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. [**Read about our approach to external linking.**](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/editorialguidelines\/guidance\/feeds-and-links)","attrs_readable_markdown":"20 March 2025\n\nKoh EweBBC News\n\n![Getty Images A Canadian flag flies above a grey building against the blue sky](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/21ea\/live\/69a63b00-0536-11f0-a3ab-112a2275669f.jpg.webp)Getty Images\n\nThe four executed Canadians were dual citizens, authorities say\n\nFour Canadians were executed in China on drug-related charges earlier this year, Canadian authorities have confirmed.\n\nAll of them were dual citizens and their identities have been withheld, Canada's foreign minister Mélanie Joly said.\n\nA spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Canada urged Ottawa to \"stop making irresponsible remarks\", as pundits feared a further downturn in relations between the countries after years of strain.\n\nChina's foreign ministry said on Thursday that it had acted \"in accordance with the law\", while the embassy said there was \"solid and sufficient\" evidence for their crimes.\n\nBeijing had \"fully guaranteed the rights and interests of the Canadian nationals concerned\", the embassy said, urging Canada to respect \"China's judicial sovereignty\".\n\nChina does not recognise dual citizenship and takes a tough stance on drug crimes. However, it's rare for the death penalty to be carried out on foreigners.\n\nJoly said she had been following the cases \"very closely\" for months and had tried with other officials, including former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to stop the executions.\n\nIn a statement to Canadian media, Global Affairs Canada spokeswoman Charlotte MacLeod said Canada had \"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\".\n\nChina imposes the death penalty on serious crimes including those related to drugs, corruption and espionage. While the number of executions are kept secret, human rights groups believe China has one of the highest execution rates in the world.\n\n\"These shocking and inhumane executions of Canadian citizens by Chinese authorities should be a wake-up call for Canada,\" said Ketty Nivyabandi, from 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.\n\n\"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.\"\n\nIn 2019, Canadian national Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling, in a high-profile case condemned by the Canadian government. He was not among the Canadians who were executed.\n\n\"We'll continue to not only strongly condemn but also ask for leniency for other Canadians that are facing similar situations,\" Joly said on Wednesday.\n\nRelations between Canada and China have been icy since 2018, after Canada detained a Chinese telecom executive, Meng Wanzhou, on a US extradition request. China arrested two Canadians shortly afterwards, both of whom have now been released.\n\nIn 2023, Canadian media released reports, many based on leaked intelligence, about detailed claims of Chinese meddling in the country's federal elections. China denied the reports, calling them \"baseless and defamatory\".\n\nMore recently, China imposed retaliatory tariffs on some Canadian farm and food imports after Ottawa placed levies on Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminium.","meta_canonical":null}

3. Robots.txt Check

Query:

Response:

4. Spam/Ban Check

Query:

Response:

5. Seen Status Check

ℹ️ Skipped - page is already crawled

📄

INDEXABLE

✅

CRAWLED

20 days ago

🚫

ROBOTS BLOCKED

Page Info Filters

Filter	Status	Condition	Details
HTTP status	PASS	`download_http_code = 200`	HTTP 200
Age cutoff	PASS	`download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH`	0.7 months ago
History drop	PASS	`isNull(history_drop_reason)`	No drop reason
Spam/ban	PASS	`fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0`	ml_spam_score=0
Canonical	PASS	`meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed`	Not set

Page Details

Property	Value
URL	https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c204ywyl4kvo
Last Crawled	2026-03-23 14:12:36 (20 days ago)
First Indexed	2025-03-20 03:49:34 (1 year ago)
HTTP Status Code	200
Meta Title	China executed four Canadians for drug crimes this year - Ottawa
Meta Description	The Chinese embassy in Canada said evidence for the Canadians' crimes was "solid and sufficient".
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	20 March 2025 Koh Ewe BBC News Getty Images The four executed Canadians were dual citizens, authorities say Four Canadians were executed in China on drug-related charges earlier this year, Canadian authorities have confirmed. All of them were dual citizens and their identities have been withheld, Canada's foreign minister Mélanie Joly said. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Canada urged Ottawa to "stop making irresponsible remarks", as pundits feared a further downturn in relations between the countries after years of strain. China's foreign ministry said on Thursday that it had acted "in accordance with the law", while the embassy said there was "solid and sufficient" evidence for their crimes. Beijing had "fully guaranteed the rights and interests of the Canadian nationals concerned", the embassy said, urging Canada to respect "China's judicial sovereignty". China does not recognise dual citizenship and takes a tough stance on drug crimes. However, it's rare for the death penalty to be carried out on foreigners. Joly said she had been following the cases "very closely" for months and had tried with other officials, including former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to stop the executions. In a statement to Canadian media, Global Affairs Canada spokeswoman Charlotte MacLeod said Canada had "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". China imposes the death penalty on serious crimes including those related to drugs, corruption and espionage. While the number of executions are kept secret, human rights groups believe China has one of the highest execution rates in the world. "These shocking and inhumane executions of Canadian citizens by Chinese authorities should be a wake-up call for Canada," said Ketty Nivyabandi, from 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. "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." In 2019, Canadian national Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling, in a high-profile case condemned by the Canadian government. He was not among the Canadians who were executed. "We'll continue to not only strongly condemn but also ask for leniency for other Canadians that are facing similar situations," Joly said on Wednesday. Relations between Canada and China have been icy since 2018, after Canada detained a Chinese telecom executive, Meng Wanzhou, on a US extradition request. China arrested two Canadians shortly afterwards, both of whom have now been released. In 2023, Canadian media released reports, many based on leaked intelligence, about detailed claims of Chinese meddling in the country's federal elections. China denied the reports, calling them "baseless and defamatory". More recently, China imposed retaliatory tariffs on some Canadian farm and food imports after Ottawa placed levies on Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminium.
Markdown	[Skip to content](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c204ywyl4kvo#main-content) [Register](https://session.bbc.com/session?action=register&userOrigin=BBCS_BBC&ptrt=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Farticles%2Fc204ywyl4kvo) [Sign In](https://session.bbc.com/session?userOrigin=BBCS_BBC&ptrt=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Farticles%2Fc204ywyl4kvo) - [Home](https://www.bbc.com/) - [News](https://www.bbc.com/news) - [Sport](https://www.bbc.com/sport) - [Business](https://www.bbc.com/business) - [Technology](https://www.bbc.com/technology) - [Health](https://www.bbc.com/health) - [Culture](https://www.bbc.com/culture) - [Arts](https://www.bbc.com/arts) - [Travel](https://www.bbc.com/travel) - [Earth](https://www.bbc.com/future-planet) - [Audio](https://www.bbc.com/audio) - [Video](https://www.bbc.com/video) - [Live](https://www.bbc.com/live) - [Home](https://www.bbc.com/home) - [News](https://www.bbc.com/news) - [US & Canada](https://www.bbc.com/news/us-canada) - [UK](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk) - [UK Politics](https://www.bbc.com/news/politics) - [England](https://www.bbc.com/news/england) - [N. Ireland](https://www.bbc.com/news/northern_ireland) - [N. Ireland Politics](https://www.bbc.com/news/northern_ireland/northern_ireland_politics) - [Scotland](https://www.bbc.com/news/scotland) - [Scotland Politics](https://www.bbc.com/news/scotland/scotland_politics) - [Wales](https://www.bbc.com/news/wales) - [Wales Politics](https://www.bbc.com/news/wales/wales_politics) - [Africa](https://www.bbc.com/news/world/africa) - [Asia](https://www.bbc.com/news/world/asia) - [China](https://www.bbc.com/news/world/asia/china) - [India](https://www.bbc.com/news/world/asia/india) - [Australia](https://www.bbc.com/news/world/australia) - [Europe](https://www.bbc.com/news/world/europe) - [Latin America](https://www.bbc.com/news/world/latin_america) - [Middle East](https://www.bbc.com/news/world/middle_east) - [In Pictures](https://www.bbc.com/news/in_pictures) - [BBC InDepth](https://www.bbc.com/news/bbcindepth) - [BBC Verify](https://www.bbc.com/news/bbcverify) - [Sport](https://www.bbc.com/sport) - [Business](https://www.bbc.com/business) - [World of Business](https://www.bbc.com/business/world-of-business) - [Technology of Business](https://www.bbc.com/business/technology-of-business) - [NYSE Opening Bell](https://www.bbc.com/business/opening-bell) - [Technology](https://www.bbc.com/technology) - [Artificial Intelligence](https://www.bbc.com/technology/artificial-intelligence) - [AI v the Mind](https://www.bbc.com/technology/ai-v-the-mind) - [Health](https://www.bbc.com/health) - [Culture](https://www.bbc.com/culture) - [Film & TV](https://www.bbc.com/culture/film-tv) - [Music](https://www.bbc.com/culture/music) - [Art & Design](https://www.bbc.com/culture/art) - [Style](https://www.bbc.com/culture/style) - [Books](https://www.bbc.com/culture/books) - [Entertainment News](https://www.bbc.com/culture/entertainment-news) - [Arts](https://www.bbc.com/arts) - [Arts in Motion](https://www.bbc.com/arts/arts-in-motion) - [Travel](https://www.bbc.com/travel) - [Destinations](https://www.bbc.com/travel/destinations) - [Africa](https://www.bbc.com/travel/destinations/africa) - [Antarctica](https://www.bbc.com/travel/destinations/antarctica) - [Asia](https://www.bbc.com/travel/destinations/asia) - [Australia and Pacific](https://www.bbc.com/travel/destinations/australia-and-pacific) - [Caribbean & Bermuda](https://www.bbc.com/travel/destinations/caribbean) - [Central America](https://www.bbc.com/travel/destinations/central-america) - [Europe](https://www.bbc.com/travel/destinations/europe) - [Middle East](https://www.bbc.com/travel/destinations/middle-east) - [North America](https://www.bbc.com/travel/destinations/north-america) - [South America](https://www.bbc.com/travel/destinations/south-america) - [World’s Table](https://www.bbc.com/travel/worlds-table) - [Culture & Experiences](https://www.bbc.com/travel/cultural-experiences) - [Adventures](https://www.bbc.com/travel/adventures) - [The SpeciaList](https://www.bbc.com/travel/specialist) - [Earth](https://www.bbc.com/future-planet) - [Science](https://www.bbc.com/innovation/science) - [Natural Wonders](https://www.bbc.com/future-planet/natural-wonders) - [Climate Solutions](https://www.bbc.com/future-planet/solutions) - [Sustainable Business](https://www.bbc.com/future-planet/sustainable-business) - [Green Living](https://www.bbc.com/future-planet/green-living) - [Audio](https://www.bbc.com/audio) - [Podcast Categories](https://www.bbc.com/audio/categories) - [Radio](https://www.bbc.com/audio/stations) - [Audio FAQs](https://www.bbc.com/undefined) - [Video](https://www.bbc.com/video) - [BBC Maestro](https://www.bbc.com/video/bbc-maestro) - [Discover the World](https://www.bbc.com/video/discover-the-world) - [Live](https://www.bbc.com/live) - [Live News](https://www.bbc.com/live/news) - [Live Sport](https://www.bbc.com/live/sport) [Home](https://www.bbc.com/) News [Sport](https://www.bbc.com/sport) Business Technology [Health](https://www.bbc.com/health) Culture Arts Travel Earth Audio Video Live [Weather](https://www.bbc.com/weather) [Newsletters](https://www.bbc.com/newsletters) # China executed four Canadians for drug crimes, says Ottawa 20 March 2025 Share Save Koh EweBBC News Share Save ![Getty Images A Canadian flag flies above a grey building against the blue sky](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/21ea/live/69a63b00-0536-11f0-a3ab-112a2275669f.jpg.webp)Getty Images The four executed Canadians were dual citizens, authorities say Four Canadians were executed in China on drug-related charges earlier this year, Canadian authorities have confirmed. All of them were dual citizens and their identities have been withheld, Canada's foreign minister Mélanie Joly said. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Canada urged Ottawa to "stop making irresponsible remarks", as pundits feared a further downturn in relations between the countries after years of strain. China's foreign ministry said on Thursday that it had acted "in accordance with the law", while the embassy said there was "solid and sufficient" evidence for their crimes. Beijing had "fully guaranteed the rights and interests of the Canadian nationals concerned", the embassy said, urging Canada to respect "China's judicial sovereignty". China does not recognise dual citizenship and takes a tough stance on drug crimes. However, it's rare for the death penalty to be carried out on foreigners. Joly said she had been following the cases "very closely" for months and had tried with other officials, including former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to stop the executions. In a statement to Canadian media, Global Affairs Canada spokeswoman Charlotte MacLeod said Canada had "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". China imposes the death penalty on serious crimes including those related to drugs, corruption and espionage. While the number of executions are kept secret, human rights groups believe China has one of the highest execution rates in the world. "These shocking and inhumane executions of Canadian citizens by Chinese authorities should be a wake-up call for Canada," said Ketty Nivyabandi, from 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. "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." In 2019, Canadian national Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling, in a high-profile case condemned by the Canadian government. He was not among the Canadians who were executed. "We'll continue to not only strongly condemn but also ask for leniency for other Canadians that are facing similar situations," Joly said on Wednesday. Relations between Canada and China have been icy since 2018, after Canada detained a Chinese telecom executive, Meng Wanzhou, on a US extradition request. China arrested two Canadians shortly afterwards, both of whom have now been released. In 2023, Canadian media released reports, many based on leaked intelligence, about detailed claims of Chinese meddling in the country's federal elections. China denied the reports, calling them "baseless and defamatory". More recently, China imposed retaliatory tariffs on some Canadian farm and food imports after Ottawa placed levies on Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminium. [What to know about the Canada-China meddling row](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64813182) [China expels Canadian diplomat in tit-for-tat move](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65529185) [The PowerPoint that sparked an international row](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54270739) [Asia](https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/c5rznn0nvvyt) [China](https://www.bbc.com/news/world/asia/china) [Canada](https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/cywd23g0q41t) * Related [Oil falls and shares rebound after Trump says talks have been held to end war](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czex56kwxxzo) [HK police can now demand phone passwords under new national security rules](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8j9yj52lro) [Pop megastars BTS electrify historic centre of Seoul with comeback concert](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj371jr203ko) * More from the BBC [14 hrs ago ![The Supreme Court of Canada sign with the name in both English and French in the foreground, with the court building behind it on a sunny day in Ottowa in May 2025. ](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/3e32/live/38e035b0-26b5-11f1-934f-036468834728.jpg.webp) How a ban on religious symbols has triggered a Canadian constitutional debate Quebec's law to regulate religious symbols goes to the Supreme Court in a constitutional test case. 14 hrs ago](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78j8vk3r50o) [2 days ago ![File photo of women wearing headscarves sittng at a table eating from white containers in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on July 06, 2024.](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/1f26/live/2857d070-260d-11f1-934f-036468834728.jpg.webp) A secularism law some women say makes them feel like 'outsiders' heads to Canada's top court Canada's Supreme Court will hear a challenge to Quebec's Bill 21, which bars some public sector workers, including teachers, from wearing religious symbols. 2 days ago](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceqw5j5lx32o) [2 days ago ![Louise Minchin holds up her bandaged hands while lying in a hospital bed.](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1024x1024/p0hq72jn.png.webp) Louise Minchin taken to hospital with frostbite during Arctic challenge The 57-year-old had been attempting to cycle 300 miles in three days in Canada's Northwestern Territories. 2 days ago](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cddq40lypldo) [2 days ago ![A golden labrador - Maggie- on a beach, looking at a brown bottle, which has a blue note sticking out the top.](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1024x1024/p0hq72jn.png.webp) Dog finds Canadian message in a bottle on Aberdeenshire beach Mike Scott is trying to contact the sender after Maggie the labrador found the bottle at St Cyrus. 2 days ago](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg1g4ek3y0o) [3 days ago ![Rangers' Derek Cornelius in training](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1024x1024/p0hq72jn.png.webp) Rohl throws doubt on 'direction' of Cornelius' Rangers career Head coach Danny Rohl casts doubt on Derek Cornelius' future with Rangers after admitting that the on-loan Marseille centre-half has been training alone and has been released early to join up with Canada's national squad. 3 days ago](https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cje4242elyno) * - [Home](https://www.bbc.com/) - [News](https://www.bbc.com/news) - [Sport](https://www.bbc.com/sport) - [Business](https://www.bbc.com/business) - [Technology](https://www.bbc.com/technology) - [Health](https://www.bbc.com/health) - [Culture](https://www.bbc.com/culture) - [Arts](https://www.bbc.com/arts) - [Travel](https://www.bbc.com/travel) - [Earth](https://www.bbc.com/future-planet) - [Audio](https://www.bbc.com/audio) - [Video](https://www.bbc.com/video) - [Live](https://www.bbc.com/live) - [Weather](https://www.bbc.com/weather) - [BBC Shop](https://shop.bbc.com/) - [BritBox](https://www.britbox.com/?utm_source=bbc.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=footer) BBC in other languages ### The BBC is in multiple languages #### Read the BBC In your own language [Oduu Afaan Oromootiin](https://www.bbc.com/afaanoromoo) [Amharic ዜና በአማርኛ](https://www.bbc.com/amharic) [Arabic عربي](https://www.bbc.com/arabic) [Azeri AZƏRBAYCAN](https://www.bbc.com/azeri) [Bangla বাংলা](https://www.bbc.com/bengali) [Burmese မြန်မာ](https://www.bbc.com/burmese) [Chinese 中文网](https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp) [Dari دری](https://www.bbc.com/dari) [French AFRIQUE](https://www.bbc.com/afrique) [Hausa HAUSA](https://www.bbc.com/hausa) [Hindi हिन्दी](https://www.bbc.com/hindi) [Gaelic NAIDHEACHDAN](https://www.bbc.com/naidheachdan) [Gujarati ગુજરાતીમાં સમાચાર](https://www.bbc.com/gujarati) [Igbo AKỤKỌ N’IGBO](https://www.bbc.com/igbo) [Indonesian INDONESIA](https://www.bbc.com/indonesia) [Japanese 日本語](https://www.bbc.com/japanese) [Kinyarwanda GAHUZA](https://www.bbc.com/gahuza) [Kirundi KIRUNDI](https://www.bbc.com/gahuza) [Korean 한국어](https://www.bbc.com/korean) [Kyrgyz Кыргыз](https://www.bbc.com/kyrgyz) [Marathi मराठी](https://www.bbc.com/marathi) [Nepali नेपाली](https://www.bbc.com/nepali) [Noticias para hispanoparlantes](https://www.bbc.com/mundo) [Pashto پښتو](https://www.bbc.com/pashto) [Persian فارسی](https://www.bbc.com/persian) [Pidgin](https://www.bbc.com/pidgin) [Polish PO POLSKU](https://www.bbc.com/polska) [Portuguese BRASIL](https://www.bbc.com/portuguese) [Punjabi ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਖ਼ਬਰਾਂ](https://www.bbc.com/punjabi) [Russian НА РУССКОМ](https://www.bbc.com/russian) [Serbian NA SRPSKOM](https://www.bbc.com/serbian/lat) [Sinhala සිංහල](https://www.bbc.com/sinhala) [Somali SOMALI](https://www.bbc.com/somali) [Swahili HABARI KWA KISWAHILI](https://www.bbc.com/swahili) [Tamil தமிழில் செய்திகள்](https://www.bbc.com/tamil) [Telugu తెలుగు వార్తలు](https://www.bbc.com/telugu) [Thai ข่าวภาษาไทย](https://www.bbc.com/thai) [Tigrinya ዜና ብትግርኛ](https://www.bbc.com/tigrinya) [Turkish TÜRKÇE](https://www.bbc.com/turkce) [Ukrainian УКРАЇНСЬКA](https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian) [Urdu اردو](https://www.bbc.com/urdu) [Uzbek O'ZBEK](https://www.bbc.com/uzbek) [Vietnamese TIẾNG VIỆT](https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese) [Welsh NEWYDDION](https://www.bbc.com/cymrufyw) [Yoruba ÌRÒYÌN NÍ YORÙBÁ](https://www.bbc.com/yoruba) Follow BBC on: - [Terms of Use](https://www.bbc.com/pages/terms-of-use) - [Subscription Terms](https://www.bbc.com/pages/subscription-terms) - [About the BBC](https://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.bbc.com/pages/privacy-policy) - [Cookies](https://www.bbc.com/usingthebbc/cookies/) - [Accessibility Help](https://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/) - [Contact the BBC](https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact) - [Advertise with us](https://advertising.bbcstudios.com/) - [Do not share or sell my info](https://www.bbc.com/usingthebbc/cookies/how-can-i-change-my-bbc-cookie-settings/) - [BBC.com Help & FAQs](https://help.bbc.com/hc/) - [Content Index](https://www.bbc.com/pages/content-index) - [Set Preferred Source](https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260128-how-to-make-google-put-trusted-sources-up-top-when-you-search) Copyright 2026 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. [Read about our approach to external linking.**](https://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidance/feeds-and-links)
Readable Markdown	20 March 2025 Koh EweBBC News ![Getty Images A Canadian flag flies above a grey building against the blue sky](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/21ea/live/69a63b00-0536-11f0-a3ab-112a2275669f.jpg.webp)Getty Images The four executed Canadians were dual citizens, authorities say Four Canadians were executed in China on drug-related charges earlier this year, Canadian authorities have confirmed. All of them were dual citizens and their identities have been withheld, Canada's foreign minister Mélanie Joly said. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Canada urged Ottawa to "stop making irresponsible remarks", as pundits feared a further downturn in relations between the countries after years of strain. China's foreign ministry said on Thursday that it had acted "in accordance with the law", while the embassy said there was "solid and sufficient" evidence for their crimes. Beijing had "fully guaranteed the rights and interests of the Canadian nationals concerned", the embassy said, urging Canada to respect "China's judicial sovereignty". China does not recognise dual citizenship and takes a tough stance on drug crimes. However, it's rare for the death penalty to be carried out on foreigners. Joly said she had been following the cases "very closely" for months and had tried with other officials, including former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to stop the executions. In a statement to Canadian media, Global Affairs Canada spokeswoman Charlotte MacLeod said Canada had "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". China imposes the death penalty on serious crimes including those related to drugs, corruption and espionage. While the number of executions are kept secret, human rights groups believe China has one of the highest execution rates in the world. "These shocking and inhumane executions of Canadian citizens by Chinese authorities should be a wake-up call for Canada," said Ketty Nivyabandi, from 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. "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." In 2019, Canadian national Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling, in a high-profile case condemned by the Canadian government. He was not among the Canadians who were executed. "We'll continue to not only strongly condemn but also ask for leniency for other Canadians that are facing similar situations," Joly said on Wednesday. Relations between Canada and China have been icy since 2018, after Canada detained a Chinese telecom executive, Meng Wanzhou, on a US extradition request. China arrested two Canadians shortly afterwards, both of whom have now been released. In 2023, Canadian media released reports, many based on leaked intelligence, about detailed claims of Chinese meddling in the country's federal elections. China denied the reports, calling them "baseless and defamatory". More recently, China imposed retaliatory tariffs on some Canadian farm and food imports after Ottawa placed levies on Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminium.
Shard	16 (laksa)
Root Hash	1643509356818581016
Unparsed URL	com,bbc!www,/news/articles/c204ywyl4kvo s443