Lawyer: Don't Deport Man to China

 VANCOUVER, British Columbia  - A fugitive wanted in China's largest smuggling scandal should not be deported because he could face execution, his lawyer said Friday. Lai Changxing, a reputed leader of the smuggling ring, and his wife were arrested Nov. 23, accused of failing to tell Canadian authorities that he was wanted in China. The couple has applied for refugee status in Canada, similar to asylum in the United States.Friday's hearing in the Federal Court of Canada dealt with whether Lai and his wife could live under house arrest instead of in government detention while the refugee case gets decided.Arguing against the deportation of Lai, lawyer Darryl Larson said that China had executed lesser figures in the reported ring.He also noted the Canadian Supreme Court ruled last week that in almost all cases, Canada must receive assurances that people it deports won't face the death penalty. Larson called the ruling ``critical.''``It very strongly supports our position that Lai should not be returned to China under any circumstances and we'll be relying on that extensively,'' he said.Earlier Friday, state media in China reported that seven men convicted in the same corruption scandal to which Lai is believed linked were executed.The seven were among 11 people sentenced to death in November following the first round of convictions in the smuggling and bribery case that touched the highest echelons of the ruling Communist Party.Larson has said the charges in China against Lai amounted to failure to pay taxes, and the death penalty would be excessive.On Friday, he said any assurance from China against executing Lai would be suspect.