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Aug 10, 2021 4:49 PM -

O'Toole warns Canadians not safe in China after court upholds death sentence

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Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole takes questions from the media during a press conference in St. John's on Monday, July 26, 2021. O'Toole is accusing Beijing of using the death penalty for political purposes after a Chinese court upheld a Canadian's death sentence. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly

Federal Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole is accusing Beijing of using the death penalty for political purposes after a Chinese court upheld a Canadian's death sentence.

O'Toole is also reopening the door to a Canadian boycott of next year's Winter Olympics in China, warning the Chinese government's recent actions show Canadians are not safe in the country.

O'Toole was commenting after the Higher People's Court of Liaoning Province rejected Canadian Robert Schellenberg's appeal after his sentence in a drug case was increased to the death penalty in 2019.

That coincided with the Chinese government's efforts to pressure Canada into releasing Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou after she was detained in Vancouver on U.S. fraud charges.

China has also arrested and tried two other Canadians, entrepreneur Michael Spavor and former diplomat Michael Kovrig, on spying charges in apparent retaliation for Meng's detention.

A Chinese court is expected to release its verdict in Spavor's case on Wednesday as a Canadian court hears arguments on whether Meng should be handed over to U.S. authorities.

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