Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pushing back against the idea that Canada’s readiness to help two nationals detained in China is an admission that they engaged in espionage on behalf of Ottawa.
Prime Minister Trudeau said Thursday the federal government will help Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor rebuild their lives after being arbitrarily imprisoned in China for three years.
Prime Minister Trudeau said at a news conference in Toronto that Canada has supported Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor from the beginning because China chose to use them as pawns in its geopolitical games.
“We were there to support Mr. and Mrs. Michael, who were arbitrarily detained by China and experienced unimaginable hardship.” “We will continue to support them.”
He said China is arresting Canadians for political reasons and there is “absolutely no justification, no reason, no excuse for them to do so.”
Asked by reporters about the news that Michael Spavor had reached a settlement with Ottawa over his detention in China, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said China “really believes in what it means to be a nation of laws that values its people.” I don’t understand why.”
Trudeau’s comments came a day after Spavor’s lawyer, John Phillips, indicated his client had reached a settlement with the federal government over his detention.
Phillips said in an email that the issue between Spavor and the government has been “resolved.” Radio-Canada, citing two sources, reported that the total settlement amount was $7 million.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined Thursday to say whether Ottawa had provided compensation to Kovrig, citing confidentiality requirements.
In December 2018, Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, an executive at the Chinese company Huawei Technologies Co., at the request of the United States, on charges related to U.S. sanctions against Iran.
The move clearly angered the Chinese government, and Kovrig and Spavor, both Canadians working in China, were arrested soon after on charges of endangering national security, but the move was widely seen as retaliation against Ottawa. ing.
Kovrig and Spavor were convicted of espionage in a closed Chinese court in 2021. Canada and many allies said the process amounted to arbitrary detention on false charges in an unaccountable judicial system.
The US struck a deferred prosecution agreement in Meng’s case, allowing her release, and the Chinese government allowed the Michaels, as they later became known, to fly home in September 2021.
