Explained: Why China drew criticism after sentencing Canadian to 11 years in prison

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A Chinese court on Wednesday sentenced Michael Spavor, a Canadian businessman detained since 2018, to 11 years in prison, after convicting him of espionage.

The verdict sparked an angry response from Canada, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling the move absolutely unacceptable and demanding that Spavor be immediately released.

The United States has also provided support, with its embassy in Beijing calling for the prosecution of Spavor and Michael Kovrig, another Canadian arrested around the same time as an attempt to use human beings as leverage for negotiation, referring to the broader diplomatic battle raging between the West. and China since Canada’s arrest of Meng Wanzhou, a senior executive at Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei.

The conviction is the latest addition to West’s list of grievances against China, which he accuses of mishandling the coronavirus pandemic early on, attacking freedoms in Hong Kong and committing cultural genocide. in Xinjiang.

What is China’s record against the two Canadians?

Spavor was sentenced in a court in Dandong, a city in northeast China near the border with North Korea. The court said in a brief statement: “For the crime of espionage and illegal supply of state secrets abroad [Spavor] was sentenced to 11 years in prison, confiscation of 50,000 yuan (US $ 7,715) of personal property and deportation. Although the court did not specify when it would deport Spavor, China is known to mainly deport foreigners after they have served their sentence.

The other Canadian who is now expected to meet the same fate as Spavor is Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat who was also arrested in 2018. According to a New York Times report, Spavor and Kovrig were held in harsh conditions in secret prisons. . , without access to their families and to limited legal and consular support. In March of this year, the two Canadians faced a trial in which diplomats from Canada and other friendly countries were excluded.

Both Spavor and Kovrig were arrested within two weeks of Canada’s detention of Meng Wanzou, a top Chinese business executive, at the behest of the United States, a move that has infuriated Beijing.

Who is Meng Wanzou and why has Canada arrested her?

In December 2018, Canadian authorities arrested the global financial director of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, Meng Wanzhou, 49, also the daughter of the company founder, on allegations of fraud brought by the United States. The move led China to warn Canada and call on the US Ambassador to Beijing to file his protest.

The arrest came after US authorities suspected his involvement in a scheme to trick financial institutions into transactions that violate US sanctions against Iran. The arrest warrant against her was based on allegations of a conspiracy to defraud banks that cleared money allegedly intended for Huawei but which was actually intended for Skycom, described as an unofficial affiliate, which allegedly attempted to sell US material to Iran despite US and European Union bans.

At the time, when financial institutions questioned Huawei about the allegations, Meng reportedly met with an executive of an institution and said Huawei was operating in Iran in accordance with US sanctions and had sold its shares in Skycom. Huawei has been accused of trying to hide its ties to Skycom, and Canadian authorities have said Mengs’ presentation to the financial institution constitutes fraud.

Meng is currently released on C $ 10 million bail and is fighting extradition to the United States. She lives in the Canadian city of Vancouver, where her living conditions contrast sharply with the treatment that China has reserved for the two Canadians.

According to the NYT report, Meng lives in a seven-room mansion in an elite part of town and has taken painting classes and private massages. She is free to move around Vancouver; his movements monitored by a GPS tracker on his ankle.

Can Canadians be freed?

While Canada has condemned the arrest of its two nationals as political hostage-taking, China has denied their detention is in any way linked to Mengs. Canada has expressed support for its nationals, Trudeau saying: Mr Spavor’s verdict comes after more than two and a half years of arbitrary detention, a lack of transparency in the legal process and a trial that has not even satisfied the minimum. standards required by international law.

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Although Spavor has the right to appeal his conviction, there is little hope for him as China’s opaque justice system convicts most people on trial and rarely overturns convictions. Experts believe the fate of Spavor and Kovrigs hinges on a potential deal between Canada, the United States and China, with the latter only to budge if Meng is allowed to return home first.

A third Canadian, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, is also said to be the victim of China’s wrath following Mengs’ arrest. Schellenberg, who was originally sentenced to 15 years in prison for drug trafficking, saw his sentence increased to the death penalty a month after Mengs’ arrest, despite no new evidence in his retrial, according to a report from Reuters.

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