Trudeau condemns the jailing of Canadian in China

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said a Chinese court's sentencing of Canadian businessman Michael Spavor to 11 years in prison for espionage on Wednesday was "absolutely unacceptable" and called for his immediate release. A Chinese court convicted Canadian businessman Michael Spavor of espionage on Wednesday (April 11) and sentenced him to 11 years in prison, a sign of escalating tensions between the two countries. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the sentencing absolutely unacceptable and unjust, adding that the trial did not satisfy even the minimum standards required by international law. In a video address to diplomats and journalists in Beijing, Canada's ambassador to China, Dominic Barton called for Spavor's immediate release: "We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, this decision rendered after a legal process that lack both fairness and transparency. Our thoughts are with Michael and his family during this difficult time." Those comments were backed up by the U.S. embassy in Beijing, which accused China of attempting to 'use human beings as bargaining leverage'. The case is widely seen in Ottawa and Washington as linked to that of Huawei’s chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou. Spavor’s sentencing came as lawyers in Canada representing the Chinese executive make a final push to convince a court there not to extradite her. Meng faces charges of misleading HSBC about Huawei's business dealings with Iran. Trudeau is also calling for the release of another Canadian - Michael Kovrig - who is awaiting a verdict in an espionage case. Like Spavor, he was detained just days after Meng was arrested at Vancouver International Airport on a warrant from the United States. Some observers have said convictions of the two Canadians could ultimately facilitate an agreement in which they are released and sent back to Canada. Spavor's family released a statement on Wednesday, saying: "While we disagree with the charges, we realize that this is the next step in the process to bring Michael home and we will continue to support him through this challenging time." By Reuter