Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang’s comments came after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. Both were arrested on Dec. 10 after Canada detained a Huawei executive wanted by the United States on fraud charges. Canada has repeatedly urged their immediate release, calling their detentions arbitrary. Her attorney has argued that comments by U.S. President Donald Trump suggest the case against her is politically motivated. In their joint statement, Pence and Trudeau said: “The United States and Canada stand together to firmly reject the wrongful detention of two Canadian citizens, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, and call for their immediate release.

Source: Washington Post May 31, 2019 23:15 UTC