Canadian Michael Spavor found guilty of spying, sentenced to 11 years in prison by Chinese court

It's time for our government to fight back on this hostage diplomacy BS.

Don't worry. We'll write a letter... a strongly worded letter.

Meng has spent three years in custody now, or pretty close and no end in sight. definitely against this kind of retaliation but Canada basically kidnapped one of their politburo at the behest of the US and put her in custody indefinitely. Like, fer fucks sake, you didn't expect retaliation from a powerful communist regime?

We didn't kidnap anyone, we arrested someone because they had an arrest warrant from another country and landed in Canada. We would have done the same if it the citizenship was reversed.

Her 'custody' such that it is, is living in her mansion in Vancouver and doing whatever she wants in the city. Meanwhile, Spavor and Kovig have spent two years in prison with obvious signs of mistreatment, so there is ZERO comparison between the two sides.

Of course we should have expected retaliation, but I doubt anyone thought China would act as badly as it has.

It's now time to ban Huawei and perhaps consider boycotting the 2022 Olympics on the grounds that no Canadian is safe in China. Sadly, regardless who is Prime Minister, I doubt either action will happen because no politician wants to say good bye to Chinese trade.

We didn't kidnap anyone, we arrested someone because they had an arrest warrant from another country and landed in Canada. We would have done the same if it the citizenship was reversed.

Her 'custody' such that it is, is living in her mansion in Vancouver and doing whatever she wants in the city. Meanwhile, Spavor and Kovig have spent two years in prison with obvious signs of mistreatment, so there is ZERO comparison between the two sides.

Of course we should have expected retaliation, but I doubt anyone thought China would act as badly as it has.

It's now time to ban Huawei and perhaps consider boycotting the 2022 Olympics on the grounds that no Canadian is safe in China. Sadly, regardless who is Prime Minister, I doubt either action will happen because no politician wants to say good bye to Chinese trade.

It doesn't matter if you're living in a mansion if you're under arrest, fer fucks sake. Just extradite her or let her go. It's been three fucking years. Shit or get off the pot.

It was a political attack--Trump even said so. yes, we were obligated to act under our extradition treaty with the US, but they should have just said "oops, sorry, didn't read your email in time", or failing that, put her on the first flight to Washington. There's zero excuse to hold someone for three years on a bunch of Trumped up charges.

Except that she has a right to an extradition hearing. It's been her lawyers dragging it through the courts.

Is there any reason not to let her go already? Other than sunk cost fallacy? Let’s do a prisoner exchange and be done with this BS.

But that would say to China that Meng is a political prisoner, and our system can be bypassed at whim.

And anytime they want something, they will just take Canadians hostage.

Except that she has a right to an extradition hearing. It's been her lawyers dragging it through the courts.

Yeah, that's baloney. Today's Globe adn Mail: "Federal government argues charges should not be stayed for Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou." Why would Crown prosecutors bother. What do they care? They have fought it tooth and nail from the get-go.

She's entitled to an extradition hearing? yes, she is. Maybe she should get one. It's been three years. It took two years to convict Bernardo from his arrest date.

^ What he said.

The reason China announced these verdicts over the past couple days is to try and influence the Meng extradition trial, which is going into what could be its final stages.

This fight sucks, but it needs to be fought, unless we are willing to turn our backs on all of our democratic beliefs and just accept that totalitarian states can do whatever the hell they want.

Except that she has a right to an extradition hearing. It's been her lawyers dragging it through the courts.

Yeah, that's baloney. Today's Globe adn Mail: "Federal government argues charges should not be stayed for Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou." Why would Crown prosecutors bother. What do they care? They have fought it tooth and nail from the get-go.

She's entitled to an extradition hearing? yes, she is. Maybe she should get one. It's been three years. It took two years to convict Bernardo from his arrest date.

But it's true. Her lawyers have taken a couple things the Supreme Court of BC. Things that they eventually lost. But getting in front of the court takes time, time that takes away from her extradition hearing. She could have just accepted extradition, and been done with it.

I can't see either Michael returning alive at this point.

When she filed for misconduct, and double criminality, and disclosure, etc, etc, etc, they could have gone unchallenged. Instead Crown prosecutors fought it all. They are still fighting it. When Trump said that he would use Meng as bait for political clout, Canada should have declared misconduct--or rather, accept Meng's claims of misconduct-- and let her go. We're basically dancing for the US.

Have you ever considered that Schellenberg was actually a drug smuggler. he had a long drug rap-sheet. Or that Spavor actually was a spy? Funny, nobody ever mentions that.

There's no ideals at stake here. This is the US making Canada dance for our banana.