Detention of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig information
2018–2021 detention of Canadians in China
"Two Michaels" redirects here. For the men who entered into the first legal same-sex marriage in Canada, see Michael Leshner and Michael Stark.
Michael Kovrig (left) and Michael Spavor (right)
In December 2018, Canadian nationals Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig were taken into custody in China. It appeared that their detention on December 10 and subsequent indictment under the state secrets law were linked to the arrest of Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, in Canada on December 1.[1] In English-language media, the pair are frequently and colloquially referred to as the Two Michaels.[2][3][4]
Prior to his detention and arrest, Kovrig was working for the International Crisis Group out of its Hong Kong office. He previously worked for the United Nations and as a Canadian diplomat.[5] Spavor had been a consultant and the director of Paektu Cultural Exchange, an organization that promotes investment and tourism in North Korea.[6]
On September 24, 2021, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Kovrig and Spavor had been released from detention in China after 1,019 days, shortly after Meng was released from house arrest in Canada.[7] Canadian officials initially insisted the espionage charges were trumped-up.[8] However, in 2023, Spavor accused Kovrig of using him for espionage without his knowledge, resulting in him unwittingly passing on information relating to North Korea to Canadian intelligence agencies. In November 2023, Spavor sought a multimillion-dollar settlement against the federal government for involving him in espionage activities without his knowledge. Michael Spavor reached a $7 million settlement deal with the Canadian government in March 2024.[9]
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^Nathan Vanderklippe. China charges Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor with espionage Archived July 15, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. The Globe and Mail, June 20, 2020.
^Jeremy Nuttall; Douglas Quan (June 24, 2020). "'Two Michaels' fight is bigger than Canada, global observers say – and the world is watching". The Toronto Star. Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
^Paul James; Renee Bernard (October 11, 2020). "'Two Michaels' given consular access, Canada's former ambassador to China still skeptical". City News AM 1130. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
^"Two Michaels". Global News. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
^"Michael Kovrig". Crisis Group. February 20, 2017. Archived from the original on October 19, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
^"Michael Spavor: The detained Canadian close to Kim Jong-un". BBC News. December 13, 2018. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
^"China has released detained Canadians Kovrig, Spavor: PM". CTVNews. September 24, 2021. Archived from the original on September 25, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
^"Trudeau says China invented charges for Canadian detainees after Meng's arrest". cbc. March 3, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
^"Michael Spavor reaches settlement with federal government over detention in China". CBC. March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
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