A Chinese court is rejecting the appeal of a Canadian man whose sentence in a drug case was increased to death following the Vancouver arrest of a Chinese tech executive.

Robert Schellenberg’s appeal has been rejected, but is now being sent to the Chinese supreme court for review as is required by law in China before death sentences may be carried out.

Dominic Barton is Canadian ambassador to Beijing and told reporters, the verdict is condemned in the strongest possible terms and Canada is calling on China to grant Robert Schellenberg clemency. Barton says Schellenberg’s retrial and subsequent sentence were arbitrary.

In two separate cases of Canadians detained in China a ruling for Michael Spavor could come Wednesday, but there are no details on when Michael Kovrig’s case might be decided.

Barton says he doesn’t think it’s a coincidence these are happening right now while events are going on in Vancouver.

A Canadian judge will hear final arguments in the coming weeks over whether Meng Wanzhou should be extradited to the U.S. to face charges that she lied to banks in Hong Kong in connection with dealings with Iran that might violate trade sanctions.