![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() By Laurent Thomet and Elizabeth Law Beijing (AFP) Jan 15, 2019
A Chinese court's decision to impose the death penalty on a convicted Canadian drug smuggler has escalated a diplomatic row that experts say has descended into a high-stakes game of "hostage politics". Beijing and Ottawa have been squabbling since last month, when Canada arrested the chief financial officer of top Chinese telecom company Huawei on a US extradition request related to Iran sanctions violations. In a move observers see as retaliation, Chinese authorities detained two Canadian citizens -- a former diplomat and a business consultant -- on suspicion of endangering national security. Then the previously little known case of Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, who was detained in December 2014, suddenly came to the fore. He had been sentenced to 15 years in prison in November. But a month later, a higher court took up his appeal and ordered a retrial after ruling that the punishment was too lenient. A new trial was hastily convened in the northeastern city of Dalian where prosecutors presented new evidence and a new witness showing that Schellenberg was connected to an international syndicate that planned to ship 222 kilograms (490 pounds) of methamphetamine to Australia. He claimed he chose the port city for his first China visit as a tourist. The timing and swiftness of Schellenberg's sentence, and the inclusion of new evidence presenting him as a key player in the drug deal, raised suspicion among observers. "Playing hostage politics, China rushes the retrial of a Canadian suspect and sentences him to death in a fairly transparent attempt to pressure Canada to free the Huawei CFO," Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth said in a tweet. Donald Clarke, a George Washington University professor specialising in Chinese law, had an even grimmer term for the situation: "death threat diplomacy". "The Chinese government is not even trying to pretend that there was a fair trial here," Clarke said. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed "extreme concern" that China had "chosen to arbitrarily" apply the death penalty. Ottawa then issued a new travel advisory urging citizens to "exercise a high degree of caution in China due to the risk of arbitrary enforcement of local laws." The Chinese foreign ministry has vehemently denied that the case was politicised. - Suspect timing - China executes one or two foreigners every year -- nearly all for drug offences, according to John Kamm, director of the US-based Dui Hua Foundation rights group. Experts said retrials are rare in China, especially ones calling for a harsher sentence, but rights groups noted that courts are not independent and can be influenced by the ruling Communist Party. "What's unusual is how this case shifted from extremely slow handling to suddenly rapid fire movement through the courts," said Margaret Lewis, a law professor at Seton Hall University. The rare decision to allow three foreign journalists, including one from AFP, to attend the hearing makes it "clear that the Chinese government wants (the) international spotlight on this case." "The timing is suspect and certainly his nationality makes it all the more glaring," she said. - Meng at home - Schellenberg, who said he was innocent and framed by an acquaintance, has 10 days to appeal to the same high court that rejected his first appeal. Lewis said the court was likely to confirm the sentence and the case would move up to the Supreme People's Court. The top court could confirm the death penalty, give him a two-year suspended death sentence that would be converted into a long prison term or reduce his punishment, she said. Clarke said: "My prediction is that the Supreme People's Court will sit on the review decision for as long as Meng's fate remains undetermined." The fate of the other two Canadians, who have been held in undisclosed locations, remains a mystery. Last week, Trudeau accused China of "arbitrarily and unfairly" detaining former diplomat Michael Kovrig and business consultant Michael Spavor, who were rounded up nine days after Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. The Chinese foreign ministry rejected Trudeau's assertion that Kovrig, who now works for the International Crisis Group, still enjoyed diplomatic immunity. Meng, meanwhile, was granted bail by a Canadian court, allowing her to wait for the US extradition hearing in a Vancouver house.
![]() ![]() Hong Kong unveils law banning insults to Chinese national anthem Hong Kong (AFP) Jan 9, 2019 Hong Kong unveiled a proposed law Wednesday to punish anyone who disrespects the Chinese national anthem with up to three years in jail, as Beijing ramps up pressure on the semi-autonomous city to fall into line. The bill, which will have its first reading in the city's parliament on January 23, sets up a fresh battle between authorities and democracy activists who say the financial hub's freedoms are being steadily dismantled. Hong Kong has mulled the law ever since China fine-tuned legislation ... read more
![]() |
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |