Canadian Michael Spavor sentenced to 11 years in prison ordered deported by Chinese court

Canadian Michael Spavor has been found guilty and sentenced to 11 years in prison by a Chinese court in a verdict that will further test the strained relationship between the Canadian and Chinese governments.

Spavor is also being ordered deported by the court, though it is not immediately clear if that will happen before or after the 11 year prison sentence is served.

Canadian Ambassador Dominic Barton, who attended Spavor's hearing in Dandong, a coastal city near the border with North Korea, said he believes it will occur after he completes his sentence.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms this decision after a legal process that lacked both fairness and transparency," Barton said in a video address to diplomats and journalists gathered at the Canadian embassy 

Spavor was convicted of spying and illegally providing state secrets to other countries.

The verdict and sentencing mark a significant new development in Spavor's journey through the Chinese legal system, which Ottawa and other observers have decried for a perceived lack of transparency.

Trudeau condemns sentence

Ottawa has called repeatedly on the Chinese government to release Spavor and fellow Canadian Michael Kovrig, who were both detained in what is widely seen as an act of retaliation following the arrest of the Chinese business executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the sentence "absolutely unacceptable and unjust."

"Today's verdict for Mr. Spavor comes after more than two and a half years of arbitrary detention, a lack of transparency in the legal process, and a trial that did not satisfy even the minimum standards required by international law," Trudeau said in a statement early Wednesday.

Barton, who visited with Spavor following the verdict, said Spavor had three messages that he asked to be shared with the outside world: "Thank you for all your support," "I am in good spirits," and "I want to get home."

The verdict in Spavor's case was delivered at 10 p.m. ET Tuesday â€" Wednesday morning in China. The ruling also calls for the confiscation of approximately $10,000 of personal property.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms this decision after a legal process that lacked both fairness and transparency," Barton said in a video address to diplomats and journalists gathered at the Canadian embassy 

Barton, who visited with Spavor following the verdict, said Spavor had three messages that he asked to be shared with the outside world: "Thank you for all your support," "I am in good spirits," and "I want to get home."

WATCH | Spavor verdict further strains relationship between China and Canada:

Spavor verdict further strains Canada-China relations3 hours agoCanada’s troubled relationship with China was put under more strain by the verdict and sentencing of Michael Spavor, whose arrest is seen as payback for the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wengzhou. Arguments in Meng’s extradition hearing start this week, which could also further complicate the relationship. 1:59

The Spavor verdict arrived just over 24 hours after a different Chinese court upheld a death sentence for Robert Schellenberg, a Canadian convicted on charges of drug smuggling.

Canada and several of its international allies condemned that decision and have called on China to grant clemency in the case.

Ottawa maintains that Spavor, an entrepreneur, and Kovrig, a former diplomat, were arbitrarily detained.

Kovrig's trial concluded in March but it's not clear when a verdict in his case will be delivered.

Meng, the chief financial officer of the Chinese telecom giant Huawei, is on trial in Vancouver, where she faces possible extradition to the United States for charges linked to violation of sanctions.

WATCH | Former ambassador discusses cases:

Former ambassador calls for Beijing Olympics boycott after Schellenberg death sentence8 hours agoGuy Saint-Jacques, former ambassador to China, joined Power & Politics Tuesday to discuss the pending verdict in the Michael Spavor case and the decision by a Chinese court to uphold Robert Schellenberg's death sentence. 7:52 Links to Meng

During a news conference in Shenyang, China, where the Schellenberg verdict was announced, Canada's ambassador to China suggested the cases are linked to Meng's trial.

"I don't think it's a coincidence these are happening right now while events are going on in Vancouver," Dominic Barton told reporters Tuesday.

Barton is scheduled to speak to reporters again at 11 p.m. ET in Dandong. Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau is also scheduled to hold a news conference to discuss the cases at 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday.

Speaking to Power & Politics Tuesday, Guy Saint-Jacques, a former ambassador to China, said that Canada should boycott next year's Beijing Olympics over China's handling of the Schellenberg case.

Schellenberg initially was handed a 15-year sentence before his punishment was upgraded to the death penalty following a retrial that lasted only one day.

The death sentence was delivered in January 2019, a month after Meng was arrested.

The release of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MichaelSpavor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MichaelSpavor</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MichaelKovrig?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MichaelKovrig</a> is our top priority. I spoke with Canada’s friends and partners and thanked them for the resolute support they have shown for Mr. Spavor and Mr. Kovrig, who have been arbitrarily detained in China since December 2018.

&mdash;@MarcGarneau

On Tuesday, Garneau called Schellenberg's sentencing decision arbitrary.

"We have repeatedly expressed to China our firm opposition to this cruel and inhumane punishment and will continue to engage with Chinese officials at the highest levels to grant clemency to Mr. Schellenberg," Garneau said in a statement.

The European Union also formally called on China to grant clemency to Schellenberg. A spokesperson for the EU raised concerns about due process and "arbitrariness" in the case.

In response, the Chinese Embassy in Canada condemned Garneau's statement and said the trial and sentence were in accordance with the law.

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