Michael Spavor: Canadian jailed for 11 years in China on spying charges
- Published
A court in the Chinese city of Dandong has sentenced a Canadian citizen to 11 years on charges of spying.
Michael Spavor has been detained since 2018, after being arrested with fellow Canadian ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig.
The verdict will further test a strained relationship between the Canadian and Chinese governments.
It comes as an extradition battle involving Meng Wanzhou, a senior executive at Chinese tech giant Huawei, is taking place in Canada.
In a statement published on Wednesday, the Dandong court said: "For the crime of spying and illegal provision of state secrets abroad [Spavor] has been sentenced to 11 years in jail, confiscation of 50,000 yuan ($7715: £557) worth of personal property and deportation."
It's not yet clear when the deportation will take place.
China had separately on Tuesday rejected an appeal by a Canadian citizen who was found guilty of drug smuggling - upholding his death sentence.