The Canadian foreign ministry has confirmed in a statement that Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have not been put on trial in China, despite earlier reports stating otherwise.
Ottawa’s clarification came after the Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said that the men had been “arrested, indicted and tried” in a press briefing on Thursday. However, the Canadian government said that its embassy officials in Beijing had directly spoken with Chinese authorities and confirmed that the pair’s case had not yet gone to court.
Mr. Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat, and Mr. Spavor, an entrepreneur were both detained in December 2018 for endangering state security and indicted in June this year on espionage charges. Their detention came shortly after Canada arrested Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on a US extradition warrant.
China has made its displeasure over Canadian actions very clear, and the imprisonment of Kovrig and Spavor has widely been perceived as retribution, with Ottawa accusing the country of engaging in “hostage diplomacy.” Bilateral relations between the two sides have been strained since then, with the countries engaging in trade spats, and employing harsh rhetoric against each other’s policy approaches.
Now, while Meng has been granted bail has been under house arrest in her two mansions in Vancouver, Kovrig and Spavor continue to be held under harsh conditions in separate prisons, with no access to outside lawyers. They have also had limited interactions with diplomats or their families. Earlier this week, Dominic Barton, the Canadian envoy to Beijing told a special parliamentary committee that both men were in good physical and mental condition, despite their hardship.
“They’re very, very strong — it’s remarkable,” said Barton, noting that privacy laws prohibited him from providing too many details. “They are robust, that’s what I find inspiring. You would be very impressed by seeing both of them.”
On Thursday, the Chinese Embassy in Canada’s spokesperson released a statement on the matter, arguing that the individuals were arrested in “accordance with the law” and their rights had been guaranteed. The text also accused Canada of arbitrarily detaining Meng, “an innocent Chinese citizen who violates no Canadian law for over two years.”
It further read: “As proven by facts, the Meng Wanzhou case is a grave political incident concocted by the US government whose real purpose is to suppress Chinese hi-tech companies and obstruct the development of Chinese science and technology. The international community and more and more clear-eyed Canadians see it very clearly. The Canadian side acted as an accomplice that bears responsibilities in this process. We once again urge the Canadian side to correct its wrongdoing and immediately release Meng Wanzhou so she could return to China safe and sound.”
These spats have had an impact on Canada’s China-dependent economy. For instance, following the Meng incident, Canadian farmers and the agrifood industry suffered heavily due to restrictions on shipments of pork, beef, canola seeds, and soybeans to China.
Two Canadians Held in China “Have Not Been Tried” for Alleged Espionage, Canada Confirms
The Canadian government has confirmed that Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have not gone to trial yet, despite earlier reports by the Chinese foreign ministry.
December 11, 2020
SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES