A Chinese court has sentenced Canadian businessman Michael Spavor to prison for 11 years for espionage.
The Intermediate People’s Court of Dandong City said that Spavor was involved in transferring state secrets overseas. They also said that Spavor would be deported, without specifying whether it was before or after he served his prison sentence, and fined 50,000 yuan (US$7,700).
The trial took place behind closed doors in March, but the judgment was not released until now.
Canada’s ambassador Dominic Barton was in court in northeastern China’s Dandong on Wednesday morning to hear the verdict, while top diplomats from 25 countries were in the Canadian embassy in Beijing in a show of support.
“Michael Spavor demonstrated great strength and resilience throughout this process,” Barton said in video remarks before entering the detention center where the verdict was announced.
“In terms of the sentence, we were very, very disappointed with that, as the range we were looking at was five to 20 years, so 11 years is a very long time,” the ambassador continued. “We will continue to work tirelessly to secure their freedom – that will be doubled-down”.
Spavor’s trial included photos he had taken “around airports or those places where one should not take photos” in China, and some had included military aircraft, according to Barton.
Spavor’s family has said that while they disagree with the charges, they realize this is the next step in bringing him home. They thanked the Canadian government for their efforts but chose not to make any further comments.
The US embassy in Beijing’s charge d’affaires David Meale said in a statement that he was “deeply concerned” about Spavor’s sentencing and objected to China’s refusal to allow Canadian and other diplomats including the US consul in Shenyang to attend the closed-door verdict on Wednesday.
“We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Canada in calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, and we continue to condemn the lack of minimum procedural protections during their more than 2½-year arbitrary detention,” he said. “These proceedings are a blatant attempt to use human beings as bargaining leverage, a practice roundly condemned by the global community and inconsistent with China’s international human rights commitments.”
The Canadian businessman has the opportunity to appeal this decision to a higher-level court in China, but it could be years before a final decision is given.
In a statement, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the judgment against Spavor “absolutely unacceptable and unjust” saying the trial “did not satisfy even the minimum standards required by international law.”
“Our top priority remains to secure their immediate release,” Trudeau said. “We will continue working around the clock to bring them home as soon as possible…We will not rest until they are safely brought home.”
Spavor was detained in December 2018 alongside Canadian Michael Kovrig on espionage charges.
