VANCOUVER

Abbotsford man facing death sentence in China files appeal

CTV Vancouver

Kendra Mangione Managing Digital Producer, CTV News and BNN Bloomberg

Published Tuesday, January 29, 2019 12:02PM PST

In this image taken from a video footage run by China's CCTV, Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg attends his retrial at the Dalian Intermediate People's Court in Dalian, northeastern China's Liaoning province on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019. (CCTV via AP)

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An Abbotsford man sentenced to death in China earlier this month has filed his appeal, according to several international reports.

Robert Schellenberg was initially detained in 2014 following a drug trafficking investigation. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison for being an accessory to drug smuggling, an allegation he has denied.

Then, two weeks ago, he was retried in a single day. His sentence was changed to the death penalty.

Critics believe the move may have been retaliation for the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, who was brought into custody as she passed through the Vancouver International Airport.

Meng was officially charged by the U.S. government Monday, after spending more than a month under house arrest.

She appeared in court briefly Tuesday morning, where a judge agreed to change her bail conditions – replacing an individual surety with a couple who agreed to put up their home as part of her bail.