58-500: 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. In English-language media, the pair are frequently and colloquially referred to as
116-578: A European Order for Payment against the betting company Paddy Power for failing to fulfill their contractual obligations after they pulled sponsorship for a basketball event to be held in North Korea. In March 2016, Spavor organized the Pyongyang International Friendship Ice Hockey Exhibition (PIFIHE), bringing around 20 foreign hockey players to North Korea, including two Canadian residents of South Korea, for
174-437: A GoFundMe campaign was started to raise funds for Spavor to help with any legal and travel costs following his release, but three weeks later on January 7, 2019, the crowdfunding platform terminated the campaign. Though the campaign had raised CA$ 14,000 before being terminated, GoFundMe gave less than $ 500 to the designated beneficiary (Spavor's brother). Though GoFundMe did not give an explanation, Spavor's friend speculated
232-437: A GoFundMe campaign was started to raise funds for Spavor to help with any legal and travel costs following his release, but three weeks later on January 7, 2019, the crowdfunding platform terminated the campaign. Though the campaign had raised CA$ 14,000 before being terminated, GoFundMe gave less than $ 500 to the designated beneficiary (Spavor's brother). Though GoFundMe did not give an explanation, Spavor's friend speculated
290-689: A hanok in Bugahyeon-dong in western Seoul, and appeared in a music video for the K-pop group SES . From 2010 to 2013, Spavor worked for the Pyongyang Project, a Canadian non-profit that organized educational exchanges in North Koreans and provided scholarships for North Korean students overseas, and in 2015 he founded Paektu Cultural Exchange. Spavor has strong personal ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un . In September 2013, Spavor facilitated
348-612: A $ 7 million settlement deal with the Canadian government in March 2024. Michael Spavor is a consultant who worked in North Korea. He is a founding member and director of Paektu Cultural Exchange, an NGO that facilitates sports, cultural, tourism and business exchanges with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). Michael Kovrig (born February 3, 1972) is a Canadian former diplomat and geopolitical analyst and advisor working for
406-704: A date to release a decision later. Because the case involved Chinese national security law, the chargé d'affaires at the Canadian Embassy in China was denied entry to provide consular assistance . Diplomats from the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Australia, Sweden and Germany also sought access but were denied. On August 10, 2021, a Chinese court sentenced Spavor to 11 years in prison and said that he would be deported, though it
464-478: A date to release a decision later. Because the case involved Chinese national security law, the chargé d'affaires at the Canadian Embassy in China was denied entry to provide consular assistance . Diplomats from the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Australia, Sweden and Germany also sought access but were denied. On August 10, 2021, a Chinese court sentenced Spavor to 11 years in prison and said that he would be deported, though it
522-527: A day. The lights in their cells were reportedly left on 24 hours a day, and they were denied access to consular officials and to their lawyers. The prosecutors of China later charged the two Canadians with espionage endangering China's national security. If proven, such a crime may result in life sentences or more, to ensure the nondisclosure of illegally gathered intelligence. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called their arrest "arbitrary". In March 2020, amidst
580-758: A decade, was posted in Beijing between 2014 and 2016 as first secretary and vice consul and consul in Hong Kong. Kovrig was considered an intelligence asset, as a diplomatic officer at the Global Security Reporting Program (GSRP) within the Canadian embassy in Beijing, and later when based in Hong Kong at International Crisis Group, according to a 2023 report. He also worked for the United Nations Development Programme in New York City as
638-502: A letter calling on China to release Kovrig and Spavor. On April 23, 2020, the 500th day of Kovrig's detention, Trudeau said consular visits for the detained Canadians were being blocked on account of the coronavirus lockdown. On September 5, 2021, a "March for the Michaels" was held in Ottawa to mark the thousandth day of Spavor and Kovrig's detention. Organized and attended by the families of
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#1733092355546696-427: A multimillion dollar settlement. According to Spavor, he gave sensitive information to Michael Kovrig, who then secretly gave the information to the Canadian government and its Five Eyes surveillance services without getting Spavor's permission. Spavor said that it was Kovrig's intelligence work that resulted in the arrest and detention of both Canadians. In January 2016, Spavor and Paektu Cultural Exchange sought
754-423: A press conference held on September 27, China Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Hua Chunying maintained that the cases of Meng and the two Michaels were separate, stating that the two had "applied for release on bail for medical reasons". A 2023 Global News investigation claimed that then- Liberal MP Han Dong privately advised a senior Chinese diplomat to hold off freeing Kovrig and Spavor in 2021. In
812-635: A series of games and other workshop events. In 2017, during a qualifying match between the North and South Korean women's ice hockey teams for the 2018 Winter Olympics , Spavor was assaulted by South Korean security officials as he tried to display the North Korean flag. Outside of sports exchanges, Spavor also played a role in the restoration of the Ryongwang Pavilion in Pyongyang, spending four years on
870-420: A series of games and other workshop events. In 2017, during a qualifying match between the North and South Korean women's ice hockey teams for the 2018 Winter Olympics , Spavor was assaulted by South Korean security officials as he tried to display the North Korean flag. Outside of sports exchanges, Spavor also played a role in the restoration of the Ryongwang Pavilion in Pyongyang, spending four years on
928-495: A smaller scale – people-to-people interactions, and friendship among citizens of different countries, regardless of geopolitical climate or issues". In the lead-up to the first high-level diplomatic talks between Chinese officials and American officials working for Joe Biden , Spavor's trial date was announced. On March 19, 2021, a two-hour closed court hearing for Spavor ended with no immediate verdict and Dandong Intermediate people's court stating that it would set
986-495: A smaller scale – people-to-people interactions, and friendship among citizens of different countries, regardless of geopolitical climate or issues". In the lead-up to the first high-level diplomatic talks between Chinese officials and American officials working for Joe Biden , Spavor's trial date was announced. On March 19, 2021, a two-hour closed court hearing for Spavor ended with no immediate verdict and Dandong Intermediate people's court stating that it would set
1044-483: A statement, Dong said that although he had spoken to the consul-general, he had not initiated it, and he had not suggested delaying the release of the Spavor and Kovrig, instead calling for their release. Following his review into allegations of Chinese government interference in the 2019 and 2021 Canadian federal elections , Special Rapporteur David Johnston said that allegations that Dong had told Chinese officials to extend
1102-638: A strategic communications specialist, and as a researcher for the firm that later became Rhodium Group . After being detained in December 2018, he was accused of "Spying on State Secrets or Intelligence for Parties Outside the Territory of China" by the Chinese government in May 2019. His arrest was widely considered to be political retaliation for the arrest of Meng, though the Chinese government has denied any connection between
1160-512: A two-hour closed court hearing for Spavor ended with no immediate verdict and Dandong Intermediate people's court stating that it would set a date to release a decision later. Because the case involved Chinese national security law, the chargé d'affaires at the Canadian Embassy in China was denied entry to provide consular assistance . Diplomats from the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Australia, Sweden and Germany also sought access but were denied. Kovrig's trial
1218-614: Is a Canadian consultant who has worked extensively in North Korea . He is the director and founding member of Paektu Cultural Exchange, a NGO that facilitates sports, cultural, tourism and business exchanges involving North Korea. In December 2018, while he was living and working in Dandong on the Chinese side of the China–North Korea border , Spavor was taken into custody , along with Michael Kovrig , by Chinese officials. The arrest
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#17330923555461276-564: Is fluent in Korean , including the North Korean dialect , and French. Spavor's ties with North Korea go back to at least 2001, when he first visited the country. In 2005, he became the managing director of a Vancouver -based NGO and spent six months working as a teacher at an affiliated school in Pyongyang . In the same year, he met American defector James Joseph Dresnok in Pyongyang. Spavor
1334-720: Is friends with Kenji Fujimoto , Kim Jong-il 's Japanese former sushi chef, whom he first met in Japan in early 2016 and again in April 2016. In South Korea, Spavor attended Kangwon National University and worked for the Korea Tourism Organization and Seoul Tourism Organization . He also was a council member of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch from 2010 to 2013, giving lectures and leading cultural excursions. He gained attention for restoring and living in
1392-515: The COVID-19 pandemic , Kovrig was permitted by the Chinese government to have a telephone conversation with his sick father. On June 19, 2020, the men were formally charged with spying on national secrets and providing state secrets to entities outside of China. In the lead-up to the first high-level diplomatic talks between Chinese officials and American officials working for Joe Biden , Spavor and Kovrig's trial dates were announced. On March 19, 2021,
1450-461: The CSIS . [...] In no world does this make GSRP diplomats 'spies'." In response to the report, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin argued that the Canadian position on the Michaels detention being arbitrary had been "debunked by facts over time" and that the allegations were "a complete distortion of facts and blame-shifting". Michael Spavor Michael Peter Todd Spavor (born 1976)
1508-527: The International Crisis Group , a transnational, independent, non-governmental organization focused on preventing and resolving deadly conflict through research and advocacy. He wrote about geopolitical issues including China's military in Africa in addition to the North Korea nuclear crisis. Previously, Kovrig had worked for Canada's Foreign Affairs department internationally and domestically for about
1566-402: The Korea Tourism Organization and Seoul Tourism Organization . He also was a council member of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch from 2010 to 2013, giving lectures and leading cultural excursions. He gained attention for restoring and living in a hanok in Bugahyeon-dong in western Seoul, and appeared in a music video for the K-pop group SES . From 2010 to 2013, Spavor worked for
1624-648: The Two Michaels . 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. Spavor had been a consultant and the director of Paektu Cultural Exchange, an organization that promotes investment and tourism in North Korea . 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
1682-704: The Canadian government has offered CA$ 3 million each to Kovrig and Spavor, while Spavor's lawyer is seeking $ 10.5 million. Spavor reached a $ 7 million settlement deal with the Canadian government in March 2024. In a statement, Global Affairs Canada denied that Kovrig was involved in espionage. Kerry Buck , a retired diplomat and senior fellow at the University of Ottawa's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs , also rejected claims of espionage, saying that "GSRP diplomats write diplomatic reports. As with all diplomatic reports, they are read by people in Ottawa, including
1740-553: The International Crisis Group in February 2017 as a senior adviser for North East Asia. On December 10, 2018, Michael Kovrig was detained in Beijing around the same time as Michael Spavor , a Canadian consultant with a personal relationship with Kim Jong-un and a history of working with North Korea . Following their detention, the men were transferred to detention facilities where they were interrogated for up to eight hours
1798-436: The Pyongyang Project, a Canadian non-profit that organized educational exchanges in North Koreans and provided scholarships for North Korean students overseas, and in 2015 he founded Paektu Cultural Exchange. Spavor has strong personal ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un . In September 2013, Spavor facilitated the second visit of Dennis Rodman to North Korea and became one of the few Westerners to have met Kim while in
Detention of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig - Misplaced Pages Continue
1856-533: The arrest and detention of both Canadians. In January 2016, Spavor and Paektu Cultural Exchange sought a European Order for Payment against the betting company Paddy Power for failing to fulfill their contractual obligations after they pulled sponsorship for a basketball event to be held in North Korea. In March 2016, Spavor organized the Pyongyang International Friendship Ice Hockey Exhibition (PIFIHE), bringing around 20 foreign hockey players to North Korea, including two Canadian residents of South Korea, for
1914-560: The chief financial officer of Huawei , in what turned into an escalating diplomatic row between the two countries. Spavor and Kovrig were reportedly held in isolation without being allowed outdoors, kept under lighting and surveillance 24 hours a day, with 6 to 8 hours of interrogations per day. China allowed three consular visits as of February 1, 2019. During Spavor's detention, his friends noticed suspicious activity on his social media accounts, leading them to believe Chinese interrogators were accessing his accounts. In mid-December 2018,
1972-560: The chief financial officer of Huawei , in what turned into an escalating diplomatic row between the two countries. Spavor and Kovrig were reportedly held in isolation without being allowed outdoors, kept under lighting and surveillance 24 hours a day, with 6 to 8 hours of interrogations per day. China allowed three consular visits as of February 1, 2019. During Spavor's detention, his friends noticed suspicious activity on his social media accounts, leading them to believe Chinese interrogators were accessing his accounts. In mid-December 2018,
2030-404: The city of Wonsan . Spavor later organized Rodman's 2014 visit. Spavor has been involved in the financial development of Wonsan, which is a high priority for Kim Jong-un, who has invested at least $ 150 million into the city. In November 2023, it was reported that Spavor decided to sue the federal government for entangling him in espionage activities without his knowledge, and he is seeking
2088-476: The country. In 2005, he became the managing director of a Vancouver -based NGO and spent six months working as a teacher at an affiliated school in Pyongyang . In the same year, he met American defector James Joseph Dresnok in Pyongyang. Spavor is friends with Kenji Fujimoto , Kim Jong-il 's Japanese former sushi chef, whom he first met in Japan in early 2016 and again in April 2016. In South Korea, Spavor attended Kangwon National University and worked for
2146-419: The court did not specify when the deportation would take place, but China typically deports convicted foreigners after the completion of their prison sentence. Canada's Ambassador to China, Dominic Barton , accused the Chinese government of timing Spavor's verdict, as well as that of Robert Schellenberg one day prior, to coincide with that of Meng, which was occurring simultaneously in Canada. Michael Kovrig
2204-558: The detention of Kovrig and Spavor were false. According to a report by The Globe and Mail in November 2023, Spavor sought a multimillion-dollar settlement against the federal government for involving him in espionage activities without his knowledge. Spavor alleges that he provided Michael Kovrig with intelligence on North Korea, which Kovrig then secretly gave to the Canadian government and its Five Eyes allies without Spavor's permission, leading to their arrest and detention. According to
2262-449: The dropping of Meng Wanzhou 's extradition request as part of her deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice . Canadian officials initially claimed the espionage charges were "unfounded". However, in 2023, Spavor alleged that he may have unwittingly been used by Michael Kovrig for espionage, saying Kovrig had passed on information relating to North Korea from Spavor to Canadian intelligence agencies. Michael Spavor
2320-721: The espionage charges were "unfounded". However, in 2023, Spavor alleged that he may have unwittingly been used by Michael Kovrig for espionage, saying Kovrig had passed on information relating to North Korea from Spavor to Canadian intelligence agencies. Michael Spavor was born in Toronto , Ontario. He has a degree from the University of Calgary in international relations , focusing on the Korean Peninsula and East Asian Studies , and has studied International Trade and Political Science at Kangwon National University in South Korea. Spavor
2378-426: The federal government for entangling him in espionage activities without his knowledge, and he is seeking a multimillion dollar settlement. According to Spavor, he gave sensitive information to Michael Kovrig, who then secretly gave the information to the Canadian government and its Five Eyes surveillance services without getting Spavor's permission. Spavor said that it was Kovrig's intelligence work that resulted in
Detention of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig - Misplaced Pages Continue
2436-622: The project alongside the Prince Claus Fund and North Korea's National Administration for the Protection of Cultural Heritage. Spavor is often consulted by analysts and journalists for insights into North Korea. He has, however, been reluctant to comment on politics and human rights in North Korea . In December 2018, China detained Spavor and Michael Kovrig , another Canadian national, on charges of endangering state security. The arrests came shortly after Canada had arrested Meng Wanzhou ,
2494-510: The project alongside the Prince Claus Fund and North Korea's National Administration for the Protection of Cultural Heritage. Spavor is often consulted by analysts and journalists for insights into North Korea. He has, however, been reluctant to comment on politics and human rights in North Korea . In December 2018, China detained Spavor and Michael Kovrig , another Canadian national, on charges of endangering state security. The arrests came shortly after Canada had arrested Meng Wanzhou ,
2552-468: The reason might be Spavor's past promotion of tourism in North Korea , a country under US sanctions . Andrei Lankov , an expert on North Korea, expressed surprise over Spavor's arrest in this "hostage game", saying that Spavor "is from very humble origins [and] definitely not the son of a CEO of a major Canadian company". Friends describe Spavor as "only pursuing his love for Korea" and "not really interested in politics... more passionate about things on
2610-468: The reason might be Spavor's past promotion of tourism in North Korea , a country under US sanctions . Andrei Lankov , an expert on North Korea, expressed surprise over Spavor's arrest in this "hostage game", saying that Spavor "is from very humble origins [and] definitely not the son of a CEO of a major Canadian company". Friends describe Spavor as "only pursuing his love for Korea" and "not really interested in politics... more passionate about things on
2668-634: The report, a "highly placed source" told The Globe that Kovrig was "considered an intelligence asset , as a diplomatic officer at the Global Security Reporting Program (GSRP) within the Canadian embassy in Beijing, and later when based in Hong Kong at International Crisis Group." A watchdog report criticized the GSRP operating in a "distinctly grey zone", putting its officers and their contacts at risk and breaches global diplomatic conventions. In December 2023, The Globe and Mail reported that
2726-410: The second visit of Dennis Rodman to North Korea and became one of the few Westerners to have met Kim while in the city of Wonsan . Spavor later organized Rodman's 2014 visit. Spavor has been involved in the financial development of Wonsan, which is a high priority for Kim Jong-un, who has invested at least $ 150 million into the city. In November 2023, it was reported that Spavor decided to sue
2784-407: The two Michaels, about 150 people gathered to walk 7000 steps, meant to replicate the number of steps Kovrig took daily to maintain fitness in his prison cell. On September 24, 2021, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the two Michaels were released and returning to Canada on a plane with Canadian Ambassador to China , Dominic Barton . Their release came on the same day that Meng
2842-439: The two cases. Kovrig, Crisis Group and the Canadian government all insisted that he was innocent of all charges and US President Joe Biden declared that he and Spavor were being used as "bartering chips". The detention of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor followed the arrest of Meng Wanzhou by Canadian authorities. Meng was the chief financial officer of the Chinese telecom giant Huawei , founded by her father Ren Zhengfei . She
2900-419: Was released from house arrest in Canada . 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
2958-573: Was arrested at the Vancouver International Airport by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) at the request of the United States, pursuant to the extradition treaty between Canada and the United States. On January 28, 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced financial fraud charges against Meng. If proven guilty, Meng potentially faced up to 10 years' imprisonment per 18 U.S.C. § 1832. Kovrig joined
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#17330923555463016-445: Was born in Toronto , Ontario. He has a degree from the University of Calgary in international relations , focusing on the Korean Peninsula and East Asian Studies , and has studied International Trade and Political Science at Kangwon National University in South Korea. Spavor is fluent in Korean , including the North Korean dialect , and French. Spavor's ties with North Korea go back to at least 2001, when he first visited
3074-413: Was living and working in Dandong on the Chinese side of the China–North Korea border , Spavor was taken into custody , along with Michael Kovrig , by Chinese officials. The arrest was widely interpreted as retaliation for Canada's arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou . On August 10, 2021, Spavor was sentenced to 11 years in prison for espionage. On September 24, 2021, Spavor was released after
3132-521: Was released after the dropping of her extradition request as part of her deferred prosecution agreement with the US Department of Justice . Kovrig and Spavor arrived at Calgary International Airport the next morning, where they were greeted by Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau . Spavor remained in Calgary, while Kovrig flew to Toronto Pearson International Airport to meet his family. At
3190-502: Was scheduled for March 22. It ended with the identical statement - that the verdict will be announced at an unspecified later date. On August 10, 2021, the Dandong Intermediate People's Court found Michael Spavor guilty of espionage. The evidence presented at the trial was not made public. Spavor was sentenced to eleven years in prison, in addition to the confiscation of ¥50,000, and his deportation. The statement released by
3248-586: Was tried on March 22, 2021; the verdict was to be announced at an unspecified later date. The trials were held in closed sessions in accordance with China's rules of criminal procedure for national security cases. As of August 11, 2021, the verdict was still unknown to the Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau . Their arrest became a subsequent point of contention for Canada–China relations . On January 21, 2019, more than 220 political and academic individuals signed
3306-471: Was unclear when. With Meng Wanzhou 's case dropped, Spavor was released shortly after on September 24, 2021 and return to Canada. Michael Spavor Michael Peter Todd Spavor (born 1976) is a Canadian consultant who has worked extensively in North Korea . He is the director and founding member of Paektu Cultural Exchange, a NGO that facilitates sports, cultural, tourism and business exchanges involving North Korea. In December 2018, while he
3364-402: Was widely interpreted as retaliation for Canada's arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou . On August 10, 2021, Spavor was sentenced to 11 years in prison for espionage. On September 24, 2021, Spavor was released after the dropping of Meng Wanzhou 's extradition request as part of her deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice . Canadian officials initially claimed
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