{"id":18322,"date":"2021-03-19T04:42:34","date_gmt":"2021-03-19T08:42:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/?p=18322"},"modified":"2021-03-19T04:42:34","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T08:42:34","slug":"michael-spavor-canadian-spy-trial-in-china-ends-without-verdict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2021\/03\/19\/michael-spavor-canadian-spy-trial-in-china-ends-without-verdict\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Spavor: Canadian spy trial in China ends without verdict"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p><b class=\"ssrcss-14iz86j-BoldText e5tfeyi0\">The closely-watched trial of a Canadian businessman accused of espionage has ended in China with no verdict.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>It is the latest development in what has turned into a diplomatic spat between China and the US and Canada.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Michael Spavor was arrested two years ago along with fellow Canadian and former diplomat Michael Kovrig.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>The detentions came days after Canada detained Meng Wanzhou, a senior executive at Chinese tech giant Huawei, on a US warrant.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Canada has accused China of conducting &#8220;hostage diplomacy&#8221;. Beijing denies the cases are linked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"unordered-list-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1pzprxn-BulletListContainer e5tfeyi3\">\n<ul role=\"list\">\n<li><a class=\"ssrcss-hiczm3-InlineLink e1no5rhv0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-46552644\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Michael Spavor: The detained Canadian close to Kim Jong-un<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"ssrcss-hiczm3-InlineLink e1no5rhv0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-55249770\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New Christmas campaign for Canadians held in China<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"ssrcss-hiczm3-InlineLink e1no5rhv0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-52793343\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Top Huawei executive suffers US extradition blow<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Mr Spavor&#8217;s trial, which took place in the northern Chinese city of Dandong on Friday morning, appeared to have lasted just two hours. It is not unusual for some trials in China to take place swiftly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>He appeared in court to face charges of &#8220;spying and illegal provision of state secrets abroad&#8221;, according to a statement from the court, which also said it would set a later date for the verdict.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>As the trial took place, a group of foreign diplomats gathered outside the court, all of whom were denied entry. Among them was the charge d&#8217;affaires of the Canadian embassy in China, Jim Nickel, who told reporters that it was a breach of international law to bar them from the trial.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>He added that Canadian diplomats were also refused access to Mr Spavor before his trial, and that they were &#8220;disappointed by the lack of transparency and the lack of access&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>The court statement said Friday&#8217;s hearing was closed to the public as the case involved state secrets.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Mr Kovrig is due to go on trial next week. Both Canadians have been held in prison since their arrest in December 2018.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>They were formally indicted in June last year, and face lengthy jail terms if found guilty.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Mr Spavor is a founding member of the Paektu Cultural Exchange, an organisation which facilitates international business and cultural ties with North Korea.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Mr Kovrig worked for the International Crisis Group think tank.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>US President Joe Biden has publicly supported calls for the two men&#8217;s release and has pledged to work with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ensure &#8220;their safe return&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-china-56452981\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\">The closely-watched trial of a Canadian businessman accused of espionage has ended in China with no verdict. It is the latest development in what has turned into a diplomatic spat between China and the US <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2021\/03\/19\/michael-spavor-canadian-spy-trial-in-china-ends-without-verdict\/\" title=\"Michael Spavor: Canadian spy trial in China ends without verdict\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,109,2,6],"tags":[45,1673,7652,5786,7653,7651,2293],"class_list":{"0":"post-18322","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-canada","8":"category-headline","9":"category-news","10":"category-world","11":"tag-canada","12":"tag-china","13":"tag-dandong","14":"tag-meng-wanzhou","15":"tag-michael-kovrig","16":"tag-michael-spavor","17":"tag-spying","18":"pmpro-has-access"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18322"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18322\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18323,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18322\/revisions\/18323"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}