China releases Canadian ‘spy’
MONTREAL: A Canadian man arrested in China two years ago on charges of spying and stealing state secrets has been freed and is back home in Canada, his family said Thursday. Kevin Garratt was detained in 2014 along with his wife, Julia Dawn, who was later released on bail, in the northeastern Chinese city of Dandong, on the border with North Korea. Before their arrests, Garratt and his wife, both Christians, had run a coffee shop in Dandong and were active in helping send humanitarian aid to impoverished North Korea. Garratt was deported from China on Thursday after a court in Dandong ruled on his case on Tuesday, his family said in a statement. “Kevin... has returned to Canada to be with his family and friends,” the statement said. “The Garratt family thanks everyone for their thoughts and prayers, and also thanks the many individuals who worked to secure Kevin’s release.” The family asked for respect of its privacy “in this time of transition”, saying it would release more information in the coming weeks.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed Garratt home, praising his family’s “grace and resilience,” especially that of Kevin and his wife. “We are delighted that Kevin Garratt has returned safely to Canada and is with his family once more,” Trudeau said in a statement. “The government of Canada has been seized of this case at the highest levels,” he added. “We want to thank consular officials who work behind the scenes every day in support of Canadians abroad.” The detention had raised tensions between the two countries. The Garratts were arrested a week after Canada accused China of hacking, prompting accusations that Beijing was investigating them in retaliation.