This archive report was first published on 28 June 2020.
Published on June 28, 2020, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has firmly rejected appeals to intervene in the extradition proceedings against Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, in order to secure the release of detained Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.
Trudeau stated that such a decision would put other Canadians around the world at risk by demonstrating that Ottawa can be influenced by 'random arrests.'
Michael Kovrig's wife, Vina Nadjibulla, expressed her disappointment with Trudeau's decision, emphasizing that the Canadian government should both try to gain her husband's and Spavor's release and protect other Canadians from arbitrary arrest.
'We can do both,' she said. 'It isn't a question of, 'We need to do everything we can to release Michael,' or, 'We protect Canadians in the future.' Both have to be on the table, and the government has a responsibility to do both.'
Nadjibulla added that there is no cost-free solution and that Canadians understand that the current situation is fundamentally unfair and unjust.
After a long period of silence, Nadjibulla recently broke her silence to demand her husband's freedom and expressed her gratitude that a debate in Canada had been opened with a letter calling on the government to send Meng back to China to obtain the release of the two Canadians.
However, Trudeau firmly rejected this proposal, stating that such a decision would compromise Canada's integrity and put other Canadians at risk.
Meng was arrested in December 2018 in Vancouver at the request of the United States, which accuses her of violating US sanctions against Iran and engaging in bank fraud.
Kovrig, a former diplomat, and Spavor, a consultant and businessman, were arrested in China days later and were recently formally charged with espionage.
Their detention is considered in the West as retaliation for Meng's arrest, which Beijing has repeatedly denied.
