‘Arrogant’: China rejects Canada’s claims over ‘unjust’ Spavor and Schellenberg verdicts

Tan KW

Publish date: Mon, 16 Aug 2021, 11:32 AM

China rejected as ridiculous and arrogant criticism from Canada over separate court proceedings involving two detained Canadians.

The Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday that remarks by Canada over the cases this week of Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, whose appeal against the death penalty in China for drug smuggling was rejected, and Michael Spavor, who was jailed for 11 years for espionage, were an infringement of China’s sovereignty.

“China is a country under the rule of law. The judicial agencies of China deal with every case in accordance with the law and in an equal manner regardless of the nationality of the offenders. Foreign nationality is not a protection,” the ministry said.

“On one hand, Canada portrays itself as a country upholding the rule of law and with judicial independence, but on the other it is interfering in Chinese judicial organs and trespassing on the concept that everyone is equal before the law. Its true intention is to politicise legal issues.”

The remarks came after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the sentencing of Spavor was “absolutely unacceptable and unjust”.

“The verdict for Mr Spavor comes after more than 2½ 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.

“For Mr Spavor, as well as for Michael Kovrig who has also been arbitrarily detained, our top priority remains securing their immediate release. We will continue working around the clock to bring them home as soon as possible”.

The Chinese embassy in Canada said Trudeau’s comments were “absurd”.

“Such accusations are extremely unreasonable, extremely absurd and extremely arrogant, over which we express our great indignation and strongest condemnation,” it said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said China should immediately and unconditionally release Spavor and Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat who was also detained in China for espionage.

In addition to 11 years in jail, Spavor will be fined 50,000 yuan (US$7,700) and deported. He was found guilty of “spying and illegal provision of state secrets abroad” by a court in Liaoning on Wednesday.

Canada’s ambassador to China Dominic Barton said he interpreted the inclusion of “deportation” in the sentencing as meaning Spavor would be deported after the 11-year sentence.

A day earlier, another Chinese court rejected Schellenberg’s appeal against the death penalty for drug smuggling.

The judgments against the two Canadians came as court proceedings in Vancouver to determine whether to extradite Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou to the United States to face charges of bank fraud were reaching the final phase.

The arrest of Meng in 2018 in Canada at the request of Washington plunged China-Canada relations to their lowest point. Soon after the arrest, Spavor and Kovrig were arrested in China.

Canada said the arrests of Spavor and Kovrig were arbitrary and retaliatory, a claim Beijing denied.

China’s foreign ministry said: “We urge the Canadian side that engaging in ‘microphone diplomacy’ and working with allies to put pressure on China has failed in the past and will never succeed in the future. We urge relevant countries to show the spirit of the rule of law, respect China’s judicial sovereignty and stop making irresponsible remarks.”

- SCMP

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MuttsInvestor

Why is this REPUBLISHED again. ???? ( PAID by SPONSORS ??? )

2021-08-16 11:59

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