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China moves ahead with prosecution of Canadians Kovrig and Spavor on spying charges
- Two men have been in custody since December 2018 in a move widely seen as retaliation for Canada’s detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou
- Ottawa has repeatedly called for the release of the former diplomat and businessman
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China is moving ahead with the prosecution of two Canadians on spying charges, widely seen as retaliation against Canada’s detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou.
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Former Canadian diplomat Michael John Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor have been detained since December 2018, soon after Canada arrested Meng, who faces extradition to the US.
China’s top prosecutor said on Friday that a public prosecution for gathering state secrets and intelligence had been initiated against Kovrig in the Second Branch Court of the People’s Procuratorate of Beijing.
Spavor is being prosecuted by the Dandong Procuratorate in Liaoning province for stealing and providing state secrets to foreign countries.
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China says detained Canadians should be held responsible for ‘the crime of spying’
China says detained Canadians should be held responsible for ‘the crime of spying’
China’s foreign ministry said on Friday that the two men had violated Article 111 of China’s criminal law, which pertains to espionage and state secrets.
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