China: Canadian Michael Spavor sentenced to eleven years in prison for espionage
Michael Spavor (photo) was "convicted of espionage and stealing state secrets" and is "sentenced to 11 years in prison," a court in Dandong (northeast) said on Wednesday. North Korean border.
REUTERS / Kim Kyung-Hoon
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3 min
The day after the confirmation of the death sentence of a Canadian for drug trafficking, Chinese justice rendered its verdict on Michael Spavor, a Canadian businessman, sentenced to eleven years in prison for espionage.
This court case is eminently symbolic of the tensions between Beijing and Ottawa.
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With our correspondent in Beijing,
Zhifan Liu
Five months after a hasty trial, Canadian businessman Michael Spavor knows his fate.
He was sentenced this Wednesday morning, August 11, to eleven years in prison by the Chinese courts for "
espionage
" and for having "
stolen
" state secrets.
The verdict has been delivered, while at the same time another trial is being held in Canada.
It is that of Meng Wanzhou, financial director of Huawei and daughter of the founder of the Chinese telecommunications giant.
Deterioration of relations with Ottawa
His arrest by Canada in December 2018 marked a deterioration in relations between Beijing and Ottawa.
The Communist regime denounces a political arrest, while the Huawei employee faces extradition to the United States, where she is suspected of bank fraud.
A few days after Ms. Meng's arrest, China arrested Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat, also on trial for espionage and awaiting his verdict.
Since then, they have been held in silence and waited more than two years before being tried in a closed-door trial.
"
Arbitrary
"
detention
Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister, described as "
arbitrary
" the detention of the two Michael, as the Canadian press calls it, while Ottawa speaks of measure of retaliation.
“
We condemn this decision.
There is the possibility of appealing.
This is something he will discuss with his lawyers,
”said Dominic Barton, Canada's Ambassador to China.
►
See also: China: a Canadian sentenced to death on appeal for drug trafficking
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