Canada is deeply concerned by the arbitrary detention by Chinese authorities of two Canadians earlier this month and calls for their immediate release, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Friday.
The United States added its voice on Friday in a show of support for Canada.
“We also express our deep concern for the Chinese Government’s detention of two Canadians earlier this month and call for their immediate release,” Robert Palladino, State Department deputy spokesperson, said in a statement.
Freeland’s statement marked the first time Canadian officials acknowledged a direct link between the arrest in Canada earlier this month of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou and China’s arrest of former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and China-based entrepreneur Michael Spavor.
Their arrests came days after Canadian police arrested Huawei executive, Meng Wanzhou, on Dec. 1 in Vancouver at the request of U.S. authorities.
Meng, Huawei’s chief financial officer and daughter of the company’s founder Ren Zhengfei, was released on bail to await the results of extradition hearings to the U.S., where she’s facing charges of violating American sanctions on Iran, which carry a maximum sentence of 30 years jail for each charge.
Meng’s arrest in Canada infuriated Chinese authorities who are demanding her immediate release.
“Canada is a country governed by the rule of law,” Freeland said.
Canada is conducting a fair, unbiased and transparent legal proceeding with respect to Meng, she added.
“Canada respects its international legal commitments, including by honouring its extradition treaty with the United States,” Freeland said. “The rule of law is fundamental to all free societies; we will defend and uphold this principle.”
Round-the-clock interrogations
International Crisis Group says former Canadian diplomat and North East Asia expert Michael Kovrig has not been allowed to see a lawyer more than ten days after his arrest in China on suspicion of “endangering national security.” (International Crisis Group)
Freeland’s statement came on the same day as reports emerged that Kovrig has been denied access to lawyers and has been subjected to round-the-clock interrogation.
Kovrig, an ex-diplomat who works as an expert on North-East Asia for the non-governmental think tank International Crisis Group, was arrested by the Beijing Bureau of Chinese State Security on Dec. 10.
“The arrest is unjustified,” said Karim Lebhour, ICG spokesperson in Washington, DC. “We call for him to be released immediately, and at a minimum for him to be allowed regular consular access and to see his legal counsel.”
The ICG is not aware of any legal process, or any justification for Kovrig’s detention, he added.
“We are aware that Chinese officials have stated that he is being investigated for ‘endangering Chinese national security,’ but we do not understand that allegation,” Lebhour said. “Michael has been working in the open, as anyone following him on Twitter or looking at our website can attest.”
Chinese police officers stand guard outside the Canadian embassy in Beijing on December 10, 2018. (Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images)
Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian ambassador in China and Kovrig’s former boss, said based on the experience of a Canadian couple who were arrested in China in similar circumstances in 2014 and charged with espionage, Kovrig will be subjected to round-the-clock interrogations designed to break him psychologically and extract a confession that could be used for propaganda purposes.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying denied on Friday reports of Kovrig’s mistreatment.
“The Chinese side safeguards all legal interests and humanitarian treatment of Michael Kovrig and provides necessary assistance to the Canadian side for its performance of consular duties,” she said.
Canada’s ambassador in China, John McCallum, was allowed to visit Kovrig last Friday, five days after his arrest.
Canadian officials said they’ll be pushing for regular consular access to Kovrig and Spavor.
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