Two Canadians — Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor — have been formally arrested by the Chinese government for espionage-related offences and violating China’s national security after being detained without charges since December, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada confirmed to the Star Thursday. “We reiterate our demand that China immediately release Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor,” GAC spokesperson Brittany Fletcher said in an emailed statement. “Canada strongly condemns their arbitrary arrest.”Lu Kang, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry in Beijing, told reporters that Kovrig has been arrested for “gathering state secrets” and Spavor has been arrested for “stealing secrets and illegally providing them to overseas forces,” in his daily briefing Thursday.Kovrig, a former diplomat, and Spavor, a businessman and entrepreneur, were detained Dec. 10 — days after the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver, who has since been released on bail.Kovrig was working as Northeast Asia adviser for International Crisis Group — a non-governmental organization focused on conflict resolution — after going on leave from Global Affairs Canada. “[Kovrig] has been unjustly detained and has now been unjustly arrested. He should be freed immediately,” Crisis Group’s President & CEO Robert Malley said in an emailed statement. “After 158 days of arbitrary detention, Michael still hasn’t been allowed to see his family or a lawyer. His work was completely transparent and out in the open for all to see, including for Chinese officials. “Nothing Michael did was harmful to China. On the contrary, his work helped inform both China’s global policies and those around the world who make policies toward China in a manner that contributes to preventing and resolving conflict,” Malley added. Former Canadian diplomats previously ...
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