Decision Adjourned On Canadian's Death Sentence

A mainland court adjourned a hearing on a Canadian man's appeal against his death sentence for drug smuggling without a decision on Thursday in a case that has deepened a diplomatic spat between Beijing and Ottawa.

Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, 36, was sentenced to death in January after a mainland court deemed his previous 15-year prison sentence too lenient.

The Liaoning High People's Court said in a statement that "all procedural rights of appellant Schellenberg were guaranteed in accordance with the law".

The trial has adjourned and the court will "select a day or time to pronounce the sentence", it said without specifying any date.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that China had "chosen to arbitrarily" sentence Schellenberg to death. His government has pleaded for clemency.

Ottawa said Wednesday it was "extremely concerned that China has chosen to apply the death penalty, a cruel and inhumane punishment". (AFP)