Michael Kovrig: Difference between revisions
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'''Michael Kovrig''' is a [[Canadians|Canadian]]-[[Hungarians|Hungarian]]<ref>{{Cite news|last=Blanchard|first=Ben|date=2018-12-20|title=Exclusive: Detained Canadian in China also Hungarian, Hungary seeks access - sources|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-canada-hungary-exclusive-idUSKCN1OJ0SV|access-date=2021-07-17}}</ref> former diplomat who worked for the [[International Crisis Group]], a transnational, pro-peace think tank. After being detained in December 2018, he was accused of [[espionage]] by the Chinese government in May 2019, and his arrest is thought by some press outlets to be retaliation for the arrest of [[Huawei]] executive [[Meng Wanzhou]] on December 1, 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/no-visitors-for-michael-kovrig-and-michael-spavor-because-of-covid-19-as-500th-day-in-chinese-prison-nears|title=No visitors for Michael Kovrig, Michael Spavor due to COVID-19 as 500th day in Chinese prison nears {{!}} National Post|last=News|date=April 18, 2020|language=en-CA|access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2018/12/17/china-is-holding-two-canadians-hostages-its-not-even-denying-it/|title=Opinion {{!}} China is holding two Canadians as hostages. It’s not even denying it.|last=Clarke|first=Donald|website=Washington Post|language=en|access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref> Kovrig's arrest has become a recent point of contention for [[Canada–China relations|Canada-China relations]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Staff|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/05/justin-trudeau-china-canada-beijing|title=Canada: Trudeau accuses China of using 'arbitrary detentions' for political ends|date=September 5, 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=April 29, 2020|last2=agencies|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> |
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== Education and professional background == |
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Kovrig is the grandson of the Austrian-born industrialist Joseph Kuchar, who immigrated to Canada from Czechoslovakia in 1951 and founded the Record Chemical Company (Recochem) in Montreal.<ref name="O'Connor">{{cite news |last1=O' Connor |first1=Joe |title=Captive in China: Michael Kovrig, the older brother who didn't come back |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/michael-kovrig-canadian-captive-in-china |access-date=December 11, 2020 |work=National Post |date=July 9, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Kuchar obit">{{cite news |title=Joseph Kuchar |url=https://montrealgazette.remembering.ca/obituary/joseph-kuchar-1066021800 |access-date=December 11, 2020 |work=Montreal Gazette |date=March 11, 2011}}</ref> |
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Kovrig attended [[Royal St. George's College]] in Toronto and graduated from the [[University of Toronto]] in 1994.<ref>{{cite web |author1=RSGC Alumni Association |title=Michael Kovrig '89 is a former Canadian diplomat working as the Senior Advisor, North East Asia for the International Crisis Group. He has been detained in China, without offence, since December 2018. On behalf of the entire Georgian community, we pray for his health, safety and his safe return home. He is in our thoughts. We call on the Government of Canada to bring all of its resources to secure the release of Michael and Michael Spavor. |url=https://www.facebook.com/RSGCAA/posts/3812366805456639 |website=www.facebook.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name="O'Connor" /> In 2003 he graduated from [[Columbia University]] with a master's degree in [[International relations | international affairs]].<ref name="O'Connor" /> Kovrig is fluent in [[Mandarin Chinese]].<ref name="crisis" /> He worked for a time after graduation at the [[United Nations Development Programme]] in New York City and in [[Kabul|Kabul, Afghanistan]].<ref name="crisis">{{Cite web|url=https://www.crisisgroup.org/who-we-are/people/michael-kovrig|title=Michael Kovrig|date=February 20, 2017|website=Crisis Group|language=en|access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref> |
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From 2010 to 2016, Kovrig worked for Canada's [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Canada)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]], and was stationed in [[Hong Kong]] and Beijing from 2012 to 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46527975|title=Canadian ex-diplomat 'held in China'|date=December 12, 2018|work=BBC News|access-date=April 29, 2020|language=en-GB}}</ref> |
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From 1996 to 1999, Kovrig was the singer of the Hungarian punk rock band [[Bankrupt (band)|Bankrupt]]. On July 15, 2021, Bankrupt released the song ''Pekingi nyár'' (''Beijing Summer'') and its English-language version ''The Plane To Toronto'', in protest of his detention. The band announced that all proceeds from the song were to be donated to [[Hostage International]], at the request of Kovrig's family.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Zrt|first=HVG Kiadó|date=2021-07-16|title=Kínában ártatlanul börtönbe került volt énekeséről írt dalt a Bankrupt|url=https://hvg.hu/kultura/20210716_Kinaban_raboskodo_volt_enekeserol_irt_dalt_a_Bankrupt__dalpremier|access-date=2021-07-17|website=hvg.hu|language=hu}}</ref> |
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== Arrest and detention == |
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Kovrig joined the International Crisis Group in February 2017 as a senior adviser for North East Asia.<ref name="crisis"/> On December 10, 2018, Michael Kovrig was detained in [[Beijing]] around the same time as [[Michael Spavor]], a Canadian consultant with a personal relationship with [[Kim Jong-un]] and a history of working with [[North Korea]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.crisisgroup.org/detention-crisis-group-senior-adviser|title=Detention of Michael Kovrig|date=December 12, 2018|website=Crisis Group|language=en|access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref> The prosecutors of the People's Republic of China charged the two Canadians with espionage endangering China's national security. If proven, such a crime may result in life sentences or more, to ensure the nondisclosure of illegally gathered intelligence. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called his arrest "arbitrary".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Staff|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/05/justin-trudeau-china-canada-beijing|title=Canada: Trudeau accuses China of using 'arbitrary detentions' for political ends|date=September 5, 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=April 29, 2020|last2=agencies|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> |
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On January 21, 2019, more than 220 prominent political and academic individuals signed a letter calling on China to release Kovrig and Spavor.<ref name=xiletter>{{Cite news|publisher= The Globe and Mail Inc|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-mr-xi-release-these-two-canadian-citizens/|title=Mr. Xi, release these two Canadian citizens|date=January 21, 2019|access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref> |
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In March 2020, amidst the [[Coronavirus disease 2019|COVID-19]] pandemic, Kovrig was permitted by the Chinese government to have a telephone conversation with his sick father.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6672282/michael-kovrig-phone-call-coronavirus/|title=Michael Kovrig granted phone call by China with ill father amid coronavirus pandemic|website=Global News|language=en|access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref> On April 23, 2020, the 500th day of Kovrig's detention, Trudeau said consular visits for the detained Canadians were being blocked on account of the coronavirus lockdown.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3081324/coronavirus-justin-trudeau-confirms-china-blocked|title=Held for 500 days: Trudeau confirms China blocking visits to Canadian duo|date=April 24, 2020|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref> |
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== Trial and sentencing == |
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Roughly two years after his detention, Michael Spavor was tried on March 19, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/19/world/asia/canada-michael-spavor-trial-china.html|title=Canadians Alarmed by Trial of Businessman Accused of Spying in China|access-date=March 24, 2021}}</ref> Michael Kovrig was tried on March 22, 2021; verdict was to be announced at an unspecified later date.<ref name=cbc>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trial-michael-kovrig-china-1.5958648|title=Trial of Michael Kovrig concludes with verdict to come later, Chinese court says|website=CBC|language=en|access-date=March 24, 2021}}</ref> The trials were held in closed sessions<ref name=cbc/> in accordance of China's Rules of Criminal Procedure for national security cases.{{Fact|date=July 2021}} |
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== References == |
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{{Meng Wanzhou and the 2 Michaels}} |
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[[Category:Living people]] |
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[[Category:Canadian diplomats]] |
[[Category:Canadian diplomats]] |
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[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] |
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Latest revision as of 02:15, 4 April 2024
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