A Canadian man detained China In the past two and a half years, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison for espionage by a Chinese court.
Guilty verdict Michael SpavorOn Tuesday, a local court in the northeastern city of Dandong announced that it had been detained by Chinese authorities in 2018.
The Dandong Intermediate Court stated that Spavor will be deported, but according to a statement on the court’s website, it is not clear when. The court also stated that Spavor’s 50,000 yuan (96,600 Canadian dollars) personal assets will be confiscated.
“No coincidence”: Experts warn that China has linked the fate of detained Canadians to the Meng case
Espionage is punishable by life imprisonment in China, with a minimum sentence of 10 years.
and Michael Cumming Detained in China in December 2018-apparently in retaliation-just a few days after the chief financial officer of Huawei Meng Wanzhou At the request of the US authorities, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was arrested in Vancouver.
The United States accused Meng of violating sanctions on doing business with Iran and other corporate espionage charges, and is seeking her extradition. Meng, Huawei and Beijing have all denied any allegations of misconduct.
The two Michaels were accused of espionage in June 2019.
Although China denies that the arrests of Kovrig and Spavor were retaliatory measures, officials said that if Meng is allowed to return to China and the case against her is dropped, the couple can be released. Canada refuses to accept such exchanges.
In March, both Cumming Kai and Spavor faced closed-door trials on charges of espionage, but no verdict was issued.Canadian officials Barred from participating in two trials.
As of Tuesday, there is no news about Kovrig’s decision.
Second verdict in two days
The judgment was made a day later in a Chinese court Dismiss the appeal If it’s another Canadian, Robert Schellenberg, Affirmed his death sentence on Monday. Canada strongly condemns China’s “arbitrary” decision.
Schellenberg was detained by Chinese authorities in December 2014 and was formally charged with drug smuggling in January 2015. His original 15-year sentence on drug smuggling charges was overturned and was sentenced to death after a retrial in January 2019.
The Higher People’s Court of Liaoning Province said after an appeal on Monday that the sentence was appropriate and the lower court’s procedures were legal. It sent the case to the Supreme Court of China for review.
These detentions have worsened Canada-China relations.
On Tuesday, the leader of the Conservative Party Irene O’Toole Urge Canada Consider boycotting This 2022 Beijing Olympics.
O’Toole said: “I know how hard our athletes are training for Beijing, but we are approaching a point where it will be unsafe for Canadians, including Olympic athletes, to travel to China.”
Canadian Ambassador to China told reporters on Monday night ChinaThe decision this week to issue verdicts in two court cases involving Canadians is no coincidence.
Dominic Button told reporters: “It’s no coincidence that these things are happening now, and the case is going on in Vancouver.”
Before the decision was made on Tuesday, a former Canadian ambassador to China stated that Beijing hopes to pressure Ottawa to release Meng by giving Spavor a “very severe sentence.”
“The Chinese government has stated that as long as Ms. Meng is in Canada, no progress will be made,” Guy Saint-Jacques said in an interview with Global News.
— Documents from Rachel Gilmore of Global News and Reuters
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