Sinthia Hoque:– Wife of Michael Kovrig, Vina Nadjibulla recently spoke to Mercedes Stephenson in an exclusive interview with The West Blocks after President Joe Biden had made the headlines last week, issuing a clear rebuke to China over its arbitrary detentions of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, vowing to bring these men back home and serving justice. Not only had these headlines received attention worldwide but as well catching the attention of Nabjibulla, allowing her a glimmer of hope.
In the interview with The West Blocks, Nabjibulla mentions, “Hearing President Biden say those words was really emotional – having him refer to Michael and to Michael Spavor by name to call for their release was moving”, further stating, “ What I took away from that is that President Biden has compassion for the unjust suffering that our Michael and Michael Spavor are going through, as well as that he understands that Canada has been paying a really high price since it excepted the extradition request from the U.S two years ago”.
Both Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were seized by China, Beijing in December 2018 only days after the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou at the behest of the U.S.
While Meng, who faces multiple charges in relation to allegations of stealing corporate secrets and skirting sanctions on Iran has been freed on bail and is currently residing in her lavish mansion in Vancouver, as she fights for her extradition to the U.S in a Vancouver court.
Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor who were arrested and charged with nebulous claims of endangering security are being held in Chinese prisons with limited access to consular service.
Chinese officials, who have repeatedly made public statements linking the detentions of Spavor and Kovrig with that of Meng , have also presented absolutely no evidence in regards to those claims of allegations.
On February 23, in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Biden had addressed the detentions of the two Michaels had swore to the U.S to work to secure their release, stating, “ Humans are not bartering chips”.
Nabjibulla had described his public commitment as moving and, ‘really significant’ and hopes that it will lead to some action.
In the midst of all this Canada seems to have to become the foundation of anew international pact condemning state-sponsored arbitrary detention of foreign nationals for political purposes due to which 57 counties have signed the declaration spearheaded by Canada this month. The agreement is modelled on NATO’s Article 5, initially meaning ‘An attack against one member, in other words, is considered an attack against all.
Photo source: The Globe and Mail
News source: global news
