Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday evening that the aircraft carrying Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor left Chinese airspace at 5:30 p.m. Wheels up in China was almost exactly the same time as it was wheels up for Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver as she embarked on her return flight to China. A B.C. court decided on Friday that the extradition case against the Huawei chief financial officer would be dropped. It was a deferred prosecution deal with the United States avoiding extradition.
In December 2018, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were arrested in China, shortly after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou. In what was viewed as a tit-for-tat action, the two Michael’s were kept in separate cities in jail in China for more than a thousand days. However, Wanzhou was on house arrest at her mansion in Vancouver. Earlier this year, Michael Spavor was convicted on spying charges and sentenced to 11 years, Michael Kovrig had not been tried as yet. Canada’s Prime Minister says the two Michaels were accompanied by Dominic Barton, Canada’s Ambassador to China on the their flight back to Canada.
“These two men have gone through an unbelievably difficult ordeal. For the past thousand days they have shown strength, perseverance, resilience, and grace and we’re all inspired by that. I want to thank their families who have been there for them, supporting them, in every way they could and supporting us in the work we’ve done to secure their release. I want to thank the countless diplomatic and other Canadian officials who have been tireless of the past two-and-a-half years to secure the return of these two Canadians. I want to thank our Allies and partners around the world in the international community who stood steadfast in solidarity with Canada and with these two Canadians. And finally I want to thank Canadians who have kept them in our thoughts and remained determined in the core value that Canadians have in standing up for each and looking out for each other. These two men have been through an unbelievably difficult situation but it is inspiring and it is good news for all of us that they are on their way home to their families.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
