Canada minister lobbies for condemned man

OTTAWA, June 28 (UPI) -- Canada's trade minister says the government is doing all it can to save a Canadian citizen sentenced to death by beheading in Saudi Arabia.

Trade Minister Stockwell Day met with the family of Mohamed Kohail, 24, Montreal, this weekend to update them on the diplomatic efforts to prevent his execution.

"He assured them that the government of Canada is pursuing all avenues to assist him," Day's office said in a written statement Saturday.

Day brought up the case this weekend in bilateral meetings with the Saudi government, Canwest News Service reported Sunday.

Kohail was sentenced to death by decapitation for a 2007 fight in Jeddah that left an 18-year-old student dead. Kohail's brother, Sultan, is still facing trial and could also face a death sentence if convicted.

The brothers were in Saudi Arabia for a wedding.