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.
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