Trudeau slates China over ‘unjust’ jailing

CANADA has condemned China’s “unacceptable and unjust” sentencing of a Canadian businessman to 11 years in jail for spying, in a case widely seen as politically motivated.

Michael Spavor, who regularly visited North Korea, was detained in 2018 along with compatriot Michael Kovrig.

His sentence appeared to be timed to coincide with the extradition hearing of Meng Wanzhou, a Huawei executive who was arrested in Vancouver on a United States warrant.

“The verdict for Mr Spavor comes after more than two-and-a-half years of arbitrary detention, a lack of transparency in the legal process, and a trial that did not satisfy even the minimum standards required by international law,” said Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister.

Mr Spavor was found guilty of illegally providing state secrets to foreign actors, according to a statement posted on the court’s website yesterday. It said he would receive an 11-year jail term, have 50,000 yuan (about £5,600) worth of assets confiscated, and be deported.

He can submit an appeal, though Chinese courts – which have a 99.9 per cent conviction rate – rarely overturn criminal decisions. What happens next likely depends on deal-making between China, Canada and the US.

Relations between Ottawa and Beijing have deteriorated since Dec 2018, when Canadian authorities arrested Ms Meng at Vancouver airport.

Within days, they also detained Mr Spavor and former diplomat Mr Kovrig. Both have now been held for about 1,000 days, often in difficult conditions – the Canadian embassy said they were subjected daily to hours-long interrogations, deprived of sleep, and kept in solitary confinement.

In March, the two Canadians were tried in closed hearings that concluded within just a few hours. Mr Kovrig continues to await a verdict.

Mr Spavor’s sentencing comes as Ms Meng’s case in Canada moves to final arguments. It is due to end on Aug 20.

David Meale, the US embassy’s chargé d’affaires, said: “These proceedings are a blatant attempt to use humans as bargaining leverage, a practice condemned by the global community.”

Mr Spavor’s sentencing came just 24 hours after a separate Chinese court confirmed the death penalty for Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg over drug trafficking charges – another case seen as being used to pressure Canada.