Image Credit: Global News

By Saba Aziz / Global News

The Two Michaels

Michael Kovrig, Michael Spavor return to Canada after release from China

Sep 25, 2021 | 8:17 AM

CALGARY — Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have landed safely back in Canada after spending more than 1,000 days in detention in China.

The two men landed in Calgary on Saturday morning, Global News has confirmed.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Friday night that the two men had been released and were on their way back having boarded a plane with Canada’s ambassador to China Dominic Barton.

Trudeau made the announcement hours after Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou was released from house arrest in Vancouver and allowed to return home to China after securing a deal to drop U.S. charges against her.

As part of the new deferred prosecution agreement, Meng pleaded not guilty to charges that she committed fraud by misleading the HSBC bank about the company’s business dealings in Iran.

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Kovrig, a former diplomat, and businessman Spavor were detained in China days after Meng was arrested at Vancouver’s airport in December 2018 on behalf of the United States.

The two men were convicted on espionage charges in separate trials earlier this year. Spavor was later sentenced to 11 years in prison, while a sentence had yet to be issued for Kovrig.

Canada has repeatedly demanded China release the pair, saying they were arbitrarily detained on bogus charges.

“These two men have gone through an unbelievably difficult ordeal,” Trudeau said during a news conference Friday.

“It is good news for all of us that they are on their way home to their families.”