Canadian Detainee Accuses Fellow Detainee of Espionage in China

Michael Spavor alleges Michael Kovrig provided intelligence to Canadian government, leading to their arrest; seeks multimillion-dollar compensation from Ottawa.

Michael Spavor, one of the two Canadians detained in China from 2018 to 2021, has accused his fellow detainee, Michael Kovrig, of providing information to the Canadian government and allied spy services, which he believes led to their arrest.
Spavor, who had met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and helped organize former basketball star Dennis Rodman's visits to Pyongyang, claims he unwittingly provided intelligence on North Korea through his conversations with Kovrig.
Kovrig, who worked at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing as a diplomat, is said to have passed on the information to the Canadian government, which then shared it with the 'Five Eyes' intelligence-sharing community.
Spavor is seeking a multimillion-dollar settlement from Ottawa for his 1020-day-long detention, contradicting the Canadian authorities' version of the reason for their incarceration.
Despite Spavor's accusations, the Canadian government maintains the innocence of both men, stating that perpetuating the notion that either Michael was involved in espionage is only perpetuating a false narrative under which they were detained by China.