Canada's Foreign Ministry condemns China for executing four Canadians for drug crimes

The Canadian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned China for executing four Canadians for drug-related crimes. This was reported on March 20 by CBC News, citing Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.

According to her, all of those executed had dual citizenship, and they faced "charges related to criminal activities that, according to China, are related to drugs."

Joly clarified that Ottawa will continue to maintain contacts with Beijing and ask for leniency towards other Canadians who are faced with a similar situation. The Foreign Minister stressed that she had personally studied the cases of executed citizens together with former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Joly did not provide details of the cases, as the families of the victims asked for confidentiality.

Injections, pardons and the 30-year wait. What you need to know about the death penalty in the USA

The New York Times reported on March 10 that the death penalty was carried out in the US state of Louisiana for the first time since 2010. It was noted that 46-year-old Jesse Hoffman, accused of rape and murder in 1996, was punished. According to the publication, the sentence was executed by nitrogen injection.