What’s new: Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, the two Canadian citizens detained in China since late 2018 on espionage charges, have been released on bail for medical reasons, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.
Chinese courts approved their applications after a “diagnosis of professional medical institutes of China and under the guarantee of the Canadian ambassador to China,” foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a regular press briefing Monday.
On Saturday, the Beijing Second Intermediate People’s Court and the Liaoning Provincial High People’s Court granted the requests for Kovrig and Spavor to be released on bail, according to state media.
The background: The former diplomat and International Crisis Group advisor Kovrig, and the businessman Spavor have been held in China since December 2018 on suspicion of endangering China’s national security.
In August, Spavor was sentenced to 11 years in prison for espionage.
Contact reporter Cai Xuejiao (xuejiaocai@caixin.com) and editor Michael Bellart (michaelbellart@caixin.com)
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