The United States has called out to the Chinese government to release two Canadians who have been arbitrarily detained since 2018.
According to a report from the Post Millennial, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on China last Tuesday to immediately release Michael Spavor, a Canadian consultant with extensive work in North Korea, and Michael Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat who serves as Senior Advisor for North East Asia to the non-governmental organization Crisis Group, since they have been in their custody since December 2018.
The two Canadian prisoners are referred to as the "two Michaels" whose arrest have been viewed as a relation to that of Canada's arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou at the Vancouver International Airport for fraud charges pending "extradition to the United States."
"We join our partners in calling on Beijing to immediately release the two arbitrarily detained Canadians, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig. Human beings are not bargaining chips," Blinken said on Twitter with a link to the statement of the Canadian government on the matter.
We join our partners in calling on Beijing to immediately release the two arbitrarily detained Canadians, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig. Human beings are not bargaining chips. https://t.co/e5WszeKKuS
"” Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) March 23, 2021
The Post Millennial added that the Michaels were detained for many years and was only put on trial by Chinese authorities last week for espionage. The trial was said to have been criticized for being "secretive and shadowy" since China said it could not be held publicly for "state secrets" may be revealed by the Michaels.
Blinken's call to the Chinese government to release the Michaels is not an isolated case but was also previously made in February. The outlet cited President Joe Biden stating "human beings are not bartering chips" which echoes what Blinken said in reference to the trial.
In the statement of the Canadian government, Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneu expressed their grave concern for the two Michaels and disclosed their efforts in getting them back to their country.
"The thoughts of all Canadians are with Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor and their families during these difficult times. As Minister of Foreign Affairs, securing their safe return to Canada is my top priority. We are deeply troubled by the total lack of transparency surrounding these hearings and we continue to work toward an immediate end to their arbitrary detention," Garneau said.
"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," he added.
To which he stressed, "The eyes of the world are on these cases and proceedings and I want to thank our international partners for their continued support and solidarity."
The statement also expressed gratitude to many countries who have "joined the call for the release of Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who have been arbitrarily detained in China for more than two years."
He said the countries who joined have echoed their concerns that what has been done to the two Michaels "are unacceptable," and "their presence outside the courthouses of trials" indicate that calls for the freedom of the two Canadians have massive support, sending "a strong message of solidarity" within the international community.
The statement revealed that requests for access to the hearing of Spavor and to Kovrig were denied to Canadian and foreign diplomats. Specifically, Canada and eight diplomats from the countries of Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United states were denied access to Spavor's hearing. While Canada and 23 other countries including the United states were denied access to the hearing of Kovrig by the Chinese government.
