• China Trial in China of two Canadians accused of espionage

  • The keys From the trade war between the US and China to the breakup of Google and Huawei

Canadian consultant

Michael Spavor

, whose detention in China was described by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as "arbitrary", was sentenced on Wednesday to 11 years in prison for espionage, further aggravating relations between

Canada

and

China

.

Spavor was detained in December 2018, in what Canada regards as retaliatory action for the arrest a few days earlier in Vancouver of

Meng Wanzhou

, the chief financial officer of the Chinese telecommunications giant

Huawei

, at the request of the

United States

.

Michael Spavor

has been found "guilty of espionage and stealing state secrets" and "sentenced to 11 years in prison," a court in

Dandong

, on the North Korean border,

indicated on Wednesday

, where the Canadian was tried in March 2021.

His process has been carried out behind closed doors, something common in

China

in cases of espionage.

Another Canadian, former diplomat

Michael Kovarig

, was questioned and later arrested at the same time as Spavor on similar espionage grounds.

"Today's verdict against Spavor comes after more than two and a half years of arbitrary detention, a lack of transparency in the judicial process and a trial that did not meet even the minimum standards required by international law," he responded to the Canadian Prime Minister

Justin Trudeau

ruled

.

The arrest of Meng Wanzhou was carried out at the request of the United States, which suspects that he has perpetrated bank fraud and demands his extradition from Canada.

Since then, China has not stopped denouncing a "political" maneuver by

Washington

and demands from

Ottawa

the "immediate release" of the directive.

Beijing denies using the two detained Canadians as a bargaining chip.

Death penalty to another Canadian

Chance or will to pressure

Ottawa

?

Spavor's conviction has been announced days before

Meng Wanzhou's

appearance

, on August 20, before a Canadian court for a final series of hearings devoted to his potential extradition to the

United States

.

The decision on this matter is not expected to come in several months.

In case of appeal, the procedure could last several years.

The ruling against Spavor comes the day after the confirmation by the Chinese courts of the death penalty of

Robert Lloyd Schellenberg

, another Canadian convicted of drug trafficking.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • China

  • Canada

  • international

CyberattackUS, EU and NATO accuse China of global hacking Microsoft

AsiaFirst conviction in Hong Kong under national security law

EnvironmentThe planet on high alert: this is the summer of the climate emergency

See links of interest

  • Last News

  • Translator

  • Work calendar

  • Home THE WORLD TODAY

  • Fact checking