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Canadian Michael Kovrig’s trial wraps up in China with no verdict: reports

BEIJING (NEWS 1130) – It appears the trial for Canadian Michael Kovrig in Beijing has wrapped up, with reports indicating a verdict will be announced at a later date.

Multiple media outlets suggest the former diplomat’s hearing has concluded.

Kovrig, along with fellow Canadian Michael Spavor, is accused by the Chinese government of stealing state secrets. Spavor’s trial was held last week, with no verdict issued at that time.

What has been said at the trials for the two Michaels isn’t known, with both closed to observers and the media. Canadian diplomats, flanked by counterparts from close to two dozen other allied countries, have been refused entry to both Kovrig’s hearing on Monday and Spavor’s hearing last Friday.

Guy St. Jacques, who was the Canadian ambassador to China between 2012 and 2016, believes what played out at Kovrig’s trial was “preordained.”

“As we know, Michael Kovrig had no chance to have a look at the evidence against him. Same thing for his lawyer. And when you accuse someone of espionage and the person can receive a life sentence, you would expect that this would be better managed,” he explained. “But, in the Chinese system, as you know, once you are formally charged, you are found guilty 99.7 per cent of the time. So now, we have to brace ourselves for the sentence that will come down.”

File – Michael Spavor (Courtesy Twitter)

The Chinese government has tersely repeated that because the allegations involve national security concerns, everything will be done in secret.

St. Jacques notes both Kovrig and Spavor will likely be found guilty, and he expects they will receive “a harsh sentence.” However, he says the international support Canada and the two men has received sends a clear message to Chinese authorities “that other countries are paying attention.”

“And despite what they have said, I think that they are probably concerned that Western countries are getting together to push back on China. And in this regard, I look forward to the summit of democracies that will take place in Washington,” St. Jacques explained, noting the importance of countries standing up to China “to force it to stop this kind of diplomacy of hostage-taking and using trade as a weapon.”

Canadian Deputy Ambassador Jim Nickel appeared outside the Beijing courtroom on Monday, telling reporters Canada and its allies are concerned by the lack of access to Kovrig since his arrest more than two years ago.

“He’s been arbitrarily detained and now we see that the court process itself is not transparent. We’re very troubled by this,” he said.

In a statement, Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau says he’s also “deeply troubled by the lack of transparency surrounding these hearings.”

“The thoughts of all Canadians are with Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor and their families during these difficult times,” Garneau’s statement reads, adding his top priority is securing the two Canadians’ “safe return to Canada.”

“Canadian officials are seeking continued consular access to Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor, in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the China-Canada Consular Agreement, and will continue to support these men and their families during this unacceptable ordeal.”

Garneau says “the eyes of the world” are on Kovrig and Spavor’s cases, extending his gratitude to allies that have stood by Canada and the two men.

The minister confirms officials were not granted access to Kovrig’s hearing.

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Kovrig and Spavor were taken into custody in China in December 2018 in what has been described as apparent retaliation for the Canadian arrest of a Chinese telecom executive.

Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou was detained at Vancouver International Airport just days prior at the request of the U.S. on fraud charges.

After Spavor’s trial wrapped up on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized the Chinese court process, taking time to denounce the detentions of the two Michael as well as the lack of transparency around their trials.

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It’s not clear when verdicts in the Canadians’ cases may be announced. The likelihood of a conviction in criminal cases in China is essentially 100 per cent, experts have said.

On Friday, Jacques deLisle, a professor of both law and political science at the University of Pennsylvania, said he doesn’t anticipate too long of a delay before the verdict is reached.

An expert in Chinese relations, deLisle noted the political nature of the two Michaels’ trials, saying it’s still likely they could be released.

“There’ll be some interval, there’ll be negotiations in a not terribly transparent nature to see if there’s a way to work out a release. If there is one, it’ll be done without an explicit quid-pro-quo deal, but clearly there are negotiations going on,” he explained.

-With files from Cormac Mac Sweeney

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