Michael Kovrig denies his Chinese detention was due to alleged ‘espionage’
Global News
The comments were made in response to a recent report that claimed Michael Spavor blames the Canadian government and Kovrig for his detention.
Michael Kovrig, the former Canadian diplomat detained in China, is denying allegations that he conducted covert intelligence work that led to his arrest and the detention of fellow Canadian Michael Spavor.
“I was never involved in espionage activities,” Kovrig said in a statement.
“Any insinuation that I was anything but open and honourable in my interactions with Michael Spavor is false.”
The comments were made in response to a recent report in the Globe and Mail newspaper, citing unnamed sources, which claimed Spavor blames the Canadian government and Kovrig for his detention. According to the report, Spavor is seeking a multi-million-dollar settlement from Ottawa, alleging he was detained because he unwittingly provided intelligence on North Korea to Kovrig.
Kovrig told Global News that when he first saw the report, he was shocked and confused.
“I thought it was either Chinese disinformation or the results of something like a game of ‘broken telephone.,'” he said.
The ‘Two Michaels’ became known internationally following their arrests by Beijing in 2018 on charges of espionage. The Canadian government said that Kovrig and Spavor were political pawns, arbitrarily detained in response to the arrest of Chinese tech executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver at the request of the United States.
After nearly three years, Meng’s extradition case was dropped and she was allowed to return to China on Sept. 24, 2021. ‘The Michaels’ were freed hours later.
