In response to reports that China has executed Canadian citizens this year, Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English-speaking, said: “These shocking and inhumane executions of Canadian citizens by Chinese authorities should be a wake-up call for 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. They deserve answers and justice, not the sickening worry they have been subjected to because of years of separation and uncertainty.”
“Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception – regardless of who is accused, the nature or circumstances of the crime, guilt or innocence, or the method of execution,” said France-Isabelle Langlois, director general of Amnistie internationale Canada francophone. “It is imperative that Canada do more to protect its citizens abroad and exert greater pressure on China to stop using the death penalty.”
In an article published in The Globe and Mail on Wednesday, the Canadian government confirmed that an “unspecified number” of Canadians had been executed in China since the start of 2025. Global Affairs Canada would not identify the victims and said it is providing support to their families.
Nivyabandi said: “We commend Canada for its strong condemnation of China’s actions. And we urge Global Affairs Canada to keep pressuring China to respect the human rights of Canadians like Huseyin Celil and Robert Schellenberg, whose families are desperate for justice.”
China executes more people than does any other country. In its latest report on the state of the death penalty globally, Amnesty International stated that China executed thousands of people in 2023 – though the exact number is a tightly held state secret. Iran, which placed second on Amnesty’s list, executed at least 853 people in 2023.
China is known to sentence people, including foreigners, to death for drug-related offences.
