Former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig was put on trial in Beijing for espionage on Monday, following two years in detention.
Kovrig was arrested in December 2018 around the same time as fellow Canadian businessman Michael Spavor, who went on trial in Dandong, Liaoning province last Friday. Spavor’s trial was closed to the public and lasted two hours, according to CNN.
Both Canadians were arrested soon after Canadian police detained Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou on a warrant from the US.
Kovrig was officially charged in June 2020 with the crime of ‘prying into state secrets and intelligence gathering for overseas forces’ by the No. 2 branch of Beijing’s People’s Procuratorate.
According to NPR, China’s courts have a 99% conviction rate.
READ MORE: Canadians Accused of Spying Formally Charged in China
[Cover image via Pixabay]
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