Trial set to begin of Canadian detained in China

AFP

Trial set to begin of Canadian detained in China

AFP 19/03/2021 02:37:09 AFP

A Canadian man detained in China for more than two years was set to face trial Friday morning for espionage, charges which Canada has attacked as "trumped up" as relations between Ottawa and Beijing plummet.

Michael Spavor is one of two Canadians detained in apparent retaliation for Canada's arrest on a US extradition warrant of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, and formally charged last June with spying.

a man and a dog are walking in front of a building: People walk in front of the Dandong Intermediate People's Court, where Canadian businessman Michael Spavor willgo on trial

AFP saw a police van with tinted windows arriving at the court in the northeastern city of Dandong on Friday morning, surrounded by about a dozen police officers as it drove past reporters waiting outside.

Spavor's family have called for his "unconditional release," adding that he was innocent of the accusations against him.

His family described him as "just an ordinary Canadian businessman who has done extraordinary things to build constructive ties" between Canada, China and North Korea.

a tall building in a city: IMAGES Images outside the court where the trial for Michael Spavor, one of two Canadians detained in China since December 2018 and charged with espionage, is set to start on Friday.

Canada's foreign ministry said Thursday that Beijing has confirmed that Canadian officials "will not be granted permission to attend the trial" despite several official requests.

a group of people posing for the camera: Canada has attacked the charges as 'trumped up' as relations between Ottawa and Beijing plummet

Michael Kovrig's trial is scheduled to start on Monday in Beijing.

The two men have had almost no contact with the outside world since their detention.

Virtual consular visits only resumed in October after a nine-month hiatus which authorities said was due to the coronavirus.

China's judicial system convicts most people who stand trial and the two men face up to life in prison if found guilty of "espionage" and "providing state secrets".

Beijing has insisted the detention of the two Canadians is lawful, while calling Meng's case "a purely political incident".

Meng -- whose father is Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei -- has been in a two-year battle against extradition to the US over charges the firm violated US sanctions on Iran.