Canadian Michael Spavor was sentenced to 11 years in prison by a court in China for espionage on Wednesday. The businessman was arrested in 2018 alongside fellow Canadian Michael Kovrig.
A statement released by the Dandong court said that Spavor would have his property (worth a combined sum of RMB50,000) confiscated and he would be deported.
The Dandong court did not say when Spavor would be deported, however, China usually deports foreign criminals after they have served their prison sentence.
The news follows the verdict of another Candian, Rober Lloyd Schellenberg, who had his appeal against the death penalty for drug smuggling turned down due to insufficient evidence.
The string of Canadian-related court cases and convictions comes at the same time that Canada is locked in an extradition battle with Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou.
Spavor was arrested just days after Meng was detained in Canada in 2018.
Kovrig went on trial for the same charges in March, but a verdict is yet to be announced.
READ MORE: Canadian Michael Kovrig Faces Trial in China after Two Years of Detention
Candian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the conviction of Spavor “absolutely unacceptable and unjust” and also stated the behind-closed-doors conviction of Schellenberg, who was originally sentenced to 15 years in prison, was “completely unacceptable.”
Meng’s father and Huawei founder, Ren Zhengfei, described the arrest of his daughter as “politically motivated.”
READ MORE: Huawei CFO Granted Bail of USD7.5 Million in Vancouver
[Cover image via Pixabay]
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