Jakarta, IDN Times – The Canadians gathered on Sunday, September 5, 2021 local time at a location to demand the release of 2 Canadian citizens, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. The act took place on the 1,000th day of their second detention in China.
How did the story start?
1. Hundreds of residents staged a march in an attempt to emulate the 7,000 steps Kovrig took during his detention
Reported from Aljazeera.com, the Canadians held a march on Sunday local time in Ottawa, Canada, trying to replicate the 7,000 steps Kovrig tried to walk each day while being held in a cramped cell to maintain his physical and mental health.
Kovrig’s wife Vina Nadjibulla said it was a very difficult stage, but she wanted to score this way, in part to honor the strength and resilience that Michael and Michael Spavor have made. evidence.
The event brought together the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marc Garneau, as well as several lawmakers from the opposition camp as well as the United States Ambassador to Canada.
Similar events are being held elsewhere in Canada and around the world in cities such as Brussels (Belgium), New York (United States), Seoul (South Korea) and Washington, DC (United States).
Those gathered in Ottawa Park wore white shirts with the slogan #bringthemhome “.
Nadjibulla said he did not expect there to be anything other than a guilty verdict in the Kovrig case, for which Chinese courts have a conviction rate of over 99%.
He also said the solution must be political and diplomatic. She also said she was comforted by the unity with which Canadians and politicians condemned her husband’s detention and she hoped the issue would continue to be a priority after this Canadian election.
2. The US Secretary of State Condemned What He Called Arbitrary Detention by China
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement condemning what he called China’s arbitrary detention.
Blinken says he’s standing alongside Canada and the community
calling on China to immediately and unconditionally release Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig.
It is in addition to the practice of arbitrarily detaining individuals to use
influence on foreign governments is totally unacceptable and people should not be used as a tool for negotiation.
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The Chinese Embassy in Canada protested on Sunday that Canada called the imprisonment of the two men arbitrary detention.
They explained that China has repeatedly expressed its seriousness in the cases of Spavor and Kovrig and that the information disclosed by the relevant authorities shows that the evidence in their case is strong.
He also added that Canada fabricated the so-called declaration against arbitrary detention in an attempt to rally groups to pressure China through microphone diplomacy and it ended badly.
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3. Canadian Prime Minister says his camp will not rest until they are released and returned home safe and sound
Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau. (Instagram.com/justinpjtrudeau) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a same day campaign event in Markham, Ontario, Canada said the thoughts of all Canadians are with them and their families during this very difficult time.
He added that he would not rest until they were released and returned home safe and sound and said he had spoken to the families of the two men.
The Chinese government itself has responded by claiming that the arrest of one of Huawei’s top officials, Meng Wanzhou, was politically motivated.
Canada’s Conservative leader Erin O’Toole has taken a hard line on Canada’s relations with China, which has criticized the government’s approach to the issue.
During a campaign event in Vancouver, Canada, O’Toole said Kovrig and Spavor were being held as “diplomatic pawns” by China and that the Conservative government would take a more serious approach.
According to him, he has often said that China may be much bigger in terms of population and economy, but that it can learn a lot from its side when it comes to commitment to human rights, dignity and the rule of law.
He said targeted sanctions, as well as allies, would help put pressure on China on a variety of fronts.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh reiterated his call on the Canadian government to do everything possible, including working with international allies, to secure the release of the two men.
In August 2021, Spavor was sentenced to 11 years in prison for spying in a Chinese court, while Kovrig himself has yet to receive a judge’s ruling in a Chinese court.
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