China hints at trials for two detained Canadians on national security charges

Two Canadian nationals were held for a year after they were allegedly accused of charges pertaining to the concern of national security. China has been insinuating at the upcoming trials is believed is a means to increase the pressure on the Candian government to release Meng Wanzhou, a top executive at Chinese tech giant Huawei.

China hints at the upcoming trial 

Hua Chunying, the spokeswoman for the foreign ministry told international reporters on December 10, that the lawsuits against two Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have been transferred to the prosecution for further "review and prosecution in accordance with the law." According to the procedure, such depositions take place behind closed doors instead of open hearings and the verdicts are virtually given. 

In December of last year, Beijing arrested Kovrig and Spavo, after the founder of Huawei, Meng was taken into custody in Canada on December 1 after the US authorities accused her of fraud charges. 

The two Canadians who were arrested in China shortly after the Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was detained in Canada have reportedly disappeared into China's state security apparatus. Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig have been held since December 2018 and has led to a diplomatic and trade row between two nations with Beijing blocking Canadian pork and vegetable oil exports worth tens of millions of dollars. 

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The former Canadian diplomats have been failing to make progress against China's legal system since they were apprehended nine days after Meng. Reportedly, analysts believe that the fate of both detained in China depends on what will happen to Meng in Canada who will have a hearing next month in the United States extradition case which can last for several years. Both Spavor and Kovrig have reportedly endured hours of interrogation and in the first six months of detention, they were even forced to sleep with lights on. 

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As per reports, Meng described in a letter published in the official website of Huawei that she is spending her time in detention while reading and painting in her own mansion in Vancouver. Meng is even allowed to travel under a curfew which is tracked by an ankle bracelet.

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