Nadjibulla’s husband, Michael Kovrig, has been detained in China for more than two years on charges of espionage that the Chinese government refuses to explain and Canada’s prime minister says they are “forged” and politically motivated.
Over the years, Canada has tried patience, appeals and, more recently, joint pressure, to no avail. Kovrig remains in a Chinese prison, where Nadjibulla is said to have shown remarkable resilience and determination.
“He inspires us to remain strong and unforgiving in our efforts to free him,” she told CNN in an interview this week. “That is the word he used for us: ‘Remain ruthless’, and that is what we must do.”
Although the two separated before Kovrig’s arrest, Nadjibulla is still married to Kovrig and has been a strong supporter of his release.
Political detention
Beijing claims that Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat who works for the International Crisis Group, has been “stealing confidential information and intelligence through contacts in China since 2017”, while Spavor, a North Korean-focused businessman, is accused of provide intelligence to Kovrig.
But most outside observers see the case as politically motivated, and even China has linked the fate of the “two Michaels” – as they are known in Canada – to that of Meng, the Huawei executive, who has enjoyed a much more comfortable life. detention, with permission to live in his Vancouver mansion and travel within the city of Vancouver safely and with a tracking device around his ankle.
Ottawa and Washington denounced the use of the two men as “bargaining chips”. What will happen to them may well predict what China’s reflex will be in the coming years, when confronted with Western rules and laws that it will not respect.
After months of trying to reach a solution through diplomatic channels, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has become increasingly blunt, accusing China of engaging in “coercive diplomacy”. But while he has been criticized by some Canadians for not doing more, his options for forcing a release may be limited, with the solution that China clearly wants – freeing Meng – more dependent on Washington than Ottawa.
“We know from day one that … the fate of Michael and Michael Spavor are linked to a larger geopolitical dispute and we must find a solution to that and that is the only way to bring Michael back,” said Nadjibulla.
She remains cautious with every word she utters about the case, in no way wanting to compromise Kovrig’s search for freedom. For months after the two men were arrested, their families remained silent, believing that diplomatic negotiations would succeed in arranging their release.
But as their cases dragged on, with the two men being held in difficult and increasingly worse conditions in Chinese prisons, that strategy was unsuccessful. In addition to being denied access to the trials of both men this month, Canadian authorities were denied access to their citizens for 10 months last year after China introduced new limits on prison visits due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In contrast, Meng had dozens of hearings open to the public, the media and Chinese consular officials, as prescribed by Canadian law. She also has a battery of lawyers working on her case in the United States and Canada, while Canadians have a lawyer provided by the Chinese government and have been unable to consult the legal advisers of their choice.
And while the “two Michaels” were largely isolated from the outside world, Meng, as she herself admits, continued to live a relatively normal life in her multi-million dollar home in Vancouver. Canada has also recently confirmed that it has granted its family visas to visit it there, even allowing special exemptions from pandemic restrictions.
Nadjibulla said she last heard of her husband in a letter in January. He has few privileges, even things that are taken for granted in Canadian prisons, such as exercise and fresh air.
“Michael describes the conditions as difficult, they are almost monastic,” she said. “He is able to read books, which has been his consolation, it is something that we defend very strongly, so that he can have access to books and read books is what keeps him going.”
Despite not being allowed to leave, Nadjibulla added that Kovrig has pledged to walk 7,000 steps a day around his cell.
Digging in
Canada’s ambassador to China has returned to Ottawa in recent days to consult government ministers on China’s policy, while Beijing was hit by a new round of international sanctions – including Canada – because of its crackdown in Xinjiang.
These sanctions were announced in coordination with Washington, which has stepped up its defense of the “two Michaels”, which many Canadians consider detained as a result of the United States’ actions.
Canadian officials said U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken raised the issue during a meeting with Chinese diplomats in Alaska last week, adding that the US had agreed to “treat these two individuals as if they were American citizens”.
Speaking earlier this month, Trudeau said that “China needs to understand that it’s not just two Canadians, it’s respect for the rule of law and relations with a wide range of Western countries that is at stake with arbitrary and coercive detention diplomacy in which they engaged. “
China does not look shaken, however, and if anything is deepening. The country’s embassy in Ottawa recently criticized the Canadian government for Meng’s arrest and firmly insisted that the “two Michaels” were arrested for undermining national security.
“On the one hand, the Canadian side says it upholds the rule of law, but on the other hand, it makes irresponsible comments regarding China’s treatment in relevant cases under the law,” the embassy said in a statement.
“How hypocritical and arrogant! When it comes to arbitrary detention, Ms. Meng Wanzhou has been arbitrarily detained for more than two years, despite the fact that she has not violated any Canadian law. This is an arbitrary detention in every sense of the term. “
This rhetoric increased the stakes for men’s families. What could have been a complicated bilateral dispute resolved in a few months has turned into a major confrontation that could play a role in reshaping China’s relations with the West in the years to come.
Nadjibulla believes that support from the Biden government could give new impetus to efforts to free the two Canadians. But she is also realistic about the Chinese position and what it will take to reach an agreement that satisfies both parties, particularly with Beijing explicitly linking the case to that of Meng.
“There are people I know who are working on it and my sincere hope is that they will see this moment and that development [of a trial] as a stark reminder that real lives are at stake and we must do everything we can to bring them home, “she said.
And as relentless as the past two years have been for her, Nadjibulla said he is always aware that Kovrig is completely alone.
“It has been difficult for all of us here, but nothing compared to what Michael endured and he did it with such dignity and strength of character, his courage, his resilience, his ability to remain positive is what inspires me,” she said . “He is fighting for his life, for his freedom and it is an honor to be by his side and continue this fight until the day he is released.”
CNN’s James Griffiths contributed reports from Hong Kong.