Beijing, AP. Chinese prosecutors have decided to keep two in custody on Friday on charges of spying on Canada to increase pressure on Canada to drop a US extradition request for a Huawei executive under House arrest in Vancouver.
Michael Kovrug was accused by Beijing of spying for state secrets and intelligence. Michael Spawer was arrested in Dandong, a city near the North Korean border, on suspicion of spying for a foreign institution and illegally providing state secrets. Both were kept on hold for 18 months.
He was detained soon after the December 2018 arrest of Meng Wenzhou, a top official at the Chinese tech giant Huawei. The daughter of the Huawei founder was arrested at the request of US officials who want her on charges of trade-related fraud with Iran. A Canadian judge ruled this month that the US extradition case against Meng could proceed to the next stage.
Also Read: Flights to Kolkata and Prayagraj going from Gorakhpur, booking of tickets started
China has denied any clear link between their case and the lengthy detention of two Canadian men, but outside experts see them in the same case. Meng has been released on bail while her extradition case is on in court and she is staying at one of her two Vancouver mansions where she is reportedly studying for a bachelor’s degree.
At the same time, the covariate and spawner are kept in an undisclosed location and they are forbidden from meeting lawyers or family members. China has sentenced two other Canadian prisoners to death. Saying that these people were not even connected with Meng’s case.
