Foreign Ministry monitors trials of Canadians in China

The Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Ivan Korčok expressed on Wednesday (August 11) via Twitter his support for Canada in connection with its citizens who have been detained and tried in China. According to Korčok, Slovakia "strongly condemns the use of arbitrary detention and sentencing as a political tool". "Canada has our full support," he added. A Chinese court on the same day convicted a Canadian businessman of espionage and sentenced him to 11 years in prison. Another Chinese court on the day before upheld a verdict against a Canadian national who had been sentenced to death for drug smuggling. A former Canadian diplomat is awaiting a verdict in custody in China. "We are closely monitoring the cases of the three Canadians in China," wrote Korčok, who noted that Slovakia signed a declaration condemning arbitrary arrests of foreign citizens as practised in certain countries.