One of two Canadians who say Ottawa Held arbitrarily in China He was “relieved” to receive news outside with a virtual diplomatic visit, and Kovid was surprised by the extent of the epidemic, his wife said Sunday.
Canada It announced on Saturday its first contact since January with Michael Gowrick and Michael Spever, who have been jailed in China for nearly two years.
Months later, “after intense isolation, Michael was greatly relieved to receive news from the outside world” and his family, Gowrik’s wife Vina Natjibullah Told the CBC.
“Despite her long imprisonment, we are very proud that Michael’s spirit, determination and even his sense of humor have not been broken,” she said, adding that her husband was shocked to learn of the extent of the corona virus infection.
“He was amazed at the details of the Covid 19 epidemic, and noted that all of this sounds like some ‘zombie apocalypse movie,'” his statement read.
“Of course, our focus is on doing everything we can to bring Michael home. We are deeply indebted to the support and solidarity of all Canadians. ”
Ambassador of Canada China The Canadian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Dominic Borden received “virtual diplomatic access” to Spawar on Friday and Gowrik on Saturday.
There were former ambassador Gowrick and adviser Spower Imprisoned in China From December 10, 2018. They were charged with espionage last June.
Western governments have detained Meng Wanshou, the chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications company Hawaii and the daughter of its founder, in retaliation for their arrest in Canada.
Meng was arrested on a U.S. warrant in December 2018 when he was stopped in Vancouver.
He has been charged with bank fraud for violating US sanctions against Iran and has been fighting the extradition ever since.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with Donald Trump on Saturday and thanked the US president for Washington’s continued support for efforts to free the two Canadians.
When announcing the embassy visit on Saturday, the Canadian government reiterated its deep concern over the “arbitrary detention” of the two and called for their immediate release.
The purpose of embassy visits is usually to assess a prisoner’s condition, clarify the nature of his detention, provide counseling, access medical care if necessary, and act as a communication channel between the prisoner and his relatives.
With Agencies France-Press
