According to sources within the government, Canada is ready to approve multimillion-dollar settlement packages for Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, both Canadians who spent nearly three years imprisoned in Chinese jails. This information was reported by the Globe and Mail.
Federal attorneys are currently engaged in negotiations for compensation with the two individuals, who were detained in 2018. They aim to finalize the financial settlements early in the upcoming year. The report also noted Canada’s concern about a potential lawsuit from Spavor, which could draw attention to a government security reporting program.
The Canadian government has offered approximately $3 million to each of them, but Spavor’s lawyer has requested $10.5 million, alleging gross negligence in how Ottawa managed security reporting operations in China.
The Globe and Mail mentioned that the government is not inclined to offer $10.5 million and intends to present the same offer to both men.
As of now, there has been no immediate response from the government regarding this matter, and the two Canadian individuals have not been reached for comments.
Spavor and Kovrig were arrested in China shortly after Canadian authorities detained Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, on a U.S. warrant. China detained the two Canadians for over 1,000 days, which was at the heart of a dispute between Ottawa, Washington, and Beijing. Both men were released in 2021 on the same day the U.S. Justice Department withdrew its extradition request for Meng, allowing her to return to China.
Canada and the United States maintain that the detention of the Canadian men, often referred to as “the two Michaels” in the media, was illegal and arbitrary. However, Beijing denies these allegations.