Beijing: China has charged a Canadian citizen with spying and stealing state secrets, the government said today.
Kevin Garratt was detained in 2014 along with his wife, who was later released on bail, in the north-eastern Chinese city of Dandong, on the border with North Korea.
"The Canadian citizen Kevin Garratt, suspected of spying and stealing Chinese state secrets, has been indicted," Hua Chunying, a foreign ministry spokeswoman, said at a regular briefing in Beijing.
"During the investigation, authorities found that Kevin Garratt may also be involved in gathering information for Canadian information agencies," she added.
Before their arrests Garratt and his wife, both Christians, had run a coffee shop in Dandong and been active in helping send humanitarian aid to impoverished North Korea.
In 2013, he told a church in Surrey, British Columbia: "God said, in a prayer meeting, go to Dandong and I'll meet you there and he said start a coffee house."
"We're trying to reach North Korea with God, with Jesus, and practical assistance," he had said.
Garratt's parents have said he was arrested because of his religion. China regularly cracks down on a wide variety of religious expression.
Beijing denied the case was religiously motivated.
"He was indicted because of spying and stealing Chinese state secrets, it has nothing to do with his religion," Hua said.
China's definition of state secrets can be very broad while North Korea is deeply suspicious of Christian proselytising activities, punishing them harshly.
The Garratts were detained one week after Canada accused China of hacking, prompting accusations that Beijing was investigating them as retaliation against Ottawa.
China passed a new "national security" law in July that was criticised by rights groups for the vague wording of its references to "security", which raised fears it could give police wide-ranging discretionary powers over civil society.
Other foreign citizens have also run afoul of China's powerful security officials.
Earlier this month Swedish activist Peter Dahlin was held on suspicion of endangering national security, apparently caught up in a crackdown on human rights lawyers. He was deported earlier this week.
Feng Xue, a Chinese-born US geologist, spent more than seven years in a Chinese prison after being convicted on state secrets charges.
Australian national Stern Hu, an executive with the mining giant Rio Tinto, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2010 on bribery and trade secrets charges.
Kevin Garratt was detained in 2014 along with his wife, who was later released on bail, in the north-eastern Chinese city of Dandong, on the border with North Korea.
"The Canadian citizen Kevin Garratt, suspected of spying and stealing Chinese state secrets, has been indicted," Hua Chunying, a foreign ministry spokeswoman, said at a regular briefing in Beijing.
Before their arrests Garratt and his wife, both Christians, had run a coffee shop in Dandong and been active in helping send humanitarian aid to impoverished North Korea.
Advertisement
"We're trying to reach North Korea with God, with Jesus, and practical assistance," he had said.
Advertisement
Beijing denied the case was religiously motivated.
Advertisement
China's definition of state secrets can be very broad while North Korea is deeply suspicious of Christian proselytising activities, punishing them harshly.
Advertisement
China passed a new "national security" law in July that was criticised by rights groups for the vague wording of its references to "security", which raised fears it could give police wide-ranging discretionary powers over civil society.
Advertisement
Earlier this month Swedish activist Peter Dahlin was held on suspicion of endangering national security, apparently caught up in a crackdown on human rights lawyers. He was deported earlier this week.
Feng Xue, a Chinese-born US geologist, spent more than seven years in a Chinese prison after being convicted on state secrets charges.
Australian national Stern Hu, an executive with the mining giant Rio Tinto, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2010 on bribery and trade secrets charges.
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Canadian North Korea Expert Detained In Switzerland On Espionage Charges How A Maldivian Woman Spurning Kerala Cop Led To Fake ISRO Espionage Case Searches Carried Out In Premises In Gujarat, Maharashtra In Pakistan Spying Case How Extreme Weather Is Leading To Rise In Child Marriages In Pakistan Who Is Jasveen Sangha, "Ketamine Queen" Charged With Matthew Perry's Death Mamata Banerjee's Sunday Ultimatum To CBI For Death Penalty In Rape-Murder In Jammu And Kashmir, A Polling Station On LoC, Another Floats On Dal Lake Impetus Awarded 'Dream Employer of the Year 2024' for the Eighth Consecutive Year K1NGM4K3RS Inc. Aims to Bring Kabaddi to America Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.