In a case generally perceived as retaliation for Canada’s detention of a senior Huawei executive wanted by the US, a Chinese court sentenced Canadian businessman Michael Spavor to 11 years in jail on Wednesday.
Spavor was sentenced to prison for espionage and exporting state secrets overseas, according to the Dandong City Intermediate People’s Court. The trial took place in March, but the decision was not made public until today, as Huawei’s top financial officer Meng Wanzhou’s extradition process in Canada approaches a critical stage.
Spavor will be able to appeal the ruling to a higher-level Chinese court, but a final decision may take years.
Spavor and former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig were jailed in China at the end of 2018, just days after Meng was arrested in Canada on fraud charges related to Huawei’s business in Iran at the request of the US. The cases of the “Two Michaels” (as they’re known in Canada) and Meng have strained relations between Ottawa and Beijing significantly.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau branded the verdict against Spavor ““absolutely unacceptable and unjust,” stating the trial “did not meet even the minimum standards needed by international law.”
“Our top priority remains securing their immediate release,” Trudeau said. “We will continue working around the clock to bring them home as soon as possible.”
Spavor’s family said in a statement that they disagreed with the charges but “we realize that this is the next step in the process to bring Michael home and we will continue to support him through this challenging time.”
In the midst of the growing US-China rivalry, the cases of Spavor and Kovrig have prompted widespread concern in Western countries about “hostage diplomacy,” with business executives asking whether traveling to China is still worth the risks. The United States, Canada, and other nations have issued warnings to their people in China about the increased risk of arbitrary imprisonment.
Spavor and Kovrig have been accused of espionage by Beijing, which Canadian officials believe is unfounded and an attempt to compel Canada to release Meng. The charges against the two Canadians are still unclear, with Chinese authorities citing national security as a justification for holding closed-door trials this year.
Spavor and Kovrig’s lawyers emphasized the contrast between their living conditions in Chinese prisons and Meng’s house arrest in Canada while they await the conclusion of their criminal cases. While the extradition hearing is ongoing, Meng has been residing in a seven-bedroom house in Vancouver and has been permitted to receive visits from family and friends. Since their arrests, Spavor and Kovrig have been imprisoned in small cells in separate prisons, with only a few phone calls with family members and 25 visits by consular officials for each.
In a case generally perceived as retaliation for Canada’s detention of a senior Huawei executive wanted by the US, a Chinese court sentenced Canadian businessman Michael Spavor to 11 years in jail on Wednesday.
Spavor was sentenced to prison for espionage and exporting state secrets overseas, according to the Dandong City Intermediate People’s Court. The trial took place in March, but the decision was not made public until today, as Huawei’s top financial officer Meng Wanzhou’s extradition process in Canada approaches a critical stage.
Spavor will be able to appeal the ruling to a higher-level Chinese court, but a final decision may take years.
Spavor and former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig were jailed in China at the end of 2018, just days after Meng was arrested in Canada on fraud charges related to Huawei’s business in Iran at the request of the US. The cases of the “Two Michaels” (as they’re known in Canada) and Meng have strained relations between Ottawa and Beijing significantly.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau branded the verdict against Spavor ““absolutely unacceptable and unjust,” stating the trial “did not meet even the minimum standards needed by international law.”
“Our top priority remains securing their immediate release,” Trudeau said. “We will continue working around the clock to bring them home as soon as possible.”
Spavor’s family said in a statement that they disagreed with the charges but “we realize that this is the next step in the process to bring Michael home and we will continue to support him through this challenging time.”
In the midst of the growing US-China rivalry, the cases of Spavor and Kovrig have prompted widespread concern in Western countries about “hostage diplomacy,” with business executives asking whether traveling to China is still worth the risks. The United States, Canada, and other nations have issued warnings to their people in China about the increased risk of arbitrary imprisonment.
Spavor and Kovrig have been accused of espionage by Beijing, which Canadian officials believe is unfounded and an attempt to compel Canada to release Meng. The charges against the two Canadians are still unclear, with Chinese authorities citing national security as a justification for holding closed-door trials this year.
Spavor and Kovrig’s lawyers emphasized the contrast between their living conditions in Chinese prisons and Meng’s house arrest in Canada while they await the conclusion of their criminal cases. While the extradition hearing is ongoing, Meng has been residing in a seven-bedroom house in Vancouver and has been permitted to receive visits from family and friends. Since their arrests, Spavor and Kovrig have been imprisoned in small cells in separate prisons, with only a few phone calls with family members and 25 visits by consular officials for each.
This illegal and immoral practice puts citizens of all countries at risk and it undermines the rule of law. It is unacceptable and it must stop. Washington Center For Human Rights urges China to endorse the Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention. Human beings are not negotiable commodities. Arresting people for the sake of diplomatic benefit must come to an end right now.