This Canadian spent two years detained in China. He knows what Michael Spavor might be going through
Kevin Garratt was detained in China for two years, convicted and deported in 2016
Kevin Garratt has a unique insight into what Canadian Michael Spavor might be feeling after a Chinese court sentenced him to 11 years in prison this week.
Garratt went through a similar detention and trial in 2016, and was even held in the same detention centre.
Spavor was convicted on charges of espionage in the city of Dandong on Tuesday, given an 11-year sentence and a deportation order (though it is not clear whether he will be deported before or after his sentence is served). In a separate case another Canadian, Michael Kovrig, was convicted on espionage charges in March, and is awaiting sentencing.
Canadian officials have called both sets of charges baseless, and retaliation for the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in 2018. Both men were detained by Chinese authorities just days after her arrest, and have had limited contact with the outside world since.
Garratt was held for two years in China on charges of spying and stealing state secrets, but deported back to Canada in 2016, shortly after his conviction. He and his wife, Julia Garratt had lived in Dandong since 1984, where they ran a local cafe. After they were detained in 2014, their family denied accusations the couple had been involved in espionage. Julia was released in 2015.
Garratt spoke to The Current's guest host Laura Lynch about his time in detention in China, and what Spavor and Kovrig might be experiencing. Here is part of their conversation.
What went through your mind hearing that Michael Spavor has been sentenced to 11 years in prison?
I was just incredibly saddened because I know what happened with me when they sentenced me to eight years in prison for exactly the same charges, for espionage. It was just like, "How did they get it so wrong? Are they really going to go through with this?"
It's a horrible feeling. I know even exactly where he is. He's in the same detention centre I was in. So I understand really completely what's going through his mind.
Your trial was also in the same courthouse, so I'm wondering what kind of memories that triggers for you watching this all unfold.
I was really almost dragged in. It was just like, no, I don't want to do this; I don't want to go here. [You're] put in this little padded cell in the courthouse — it was more like a closet — waiting to be taken to the courtroom. And it was an all day affair for me. I know for Michael Spavor, it was just a couple of hours, but it was just a horrible feeling. And it was a closed trial, the same as his.
You speak the language, and you had an interpreter. Did you really understand what was going on?
Oh, no, I did not understand what was going on. And I mean, I kept saying, "Can I talk now? Can I get my side?" — and [the response was] "No, you can't talk now" or "You can talk now, well … you can't talk to your lawyer."
It was a very, very confusing time. Even though I had a lawyer, I only met him a couple of times. And he was good and he did what he could, but it was very difficult. You could see the whole thing was orchestrated and I wasn't really a part of it.
And when the sentence was pronounced, do you remember what that moment was like?
That was almost five months later after my actual trial. And it was like a big heavy sigh of like, "Oh no, not eight years in prison."
In the detention centre I asked someone who had been to the big prison, they call it … "What's it like?" And they said, "Well, if this is heaven where we are now, the big prison is hell."
And I didn't want to experience hell.
And eventually you didn't have to; you were deported two days after your sentence.
Thirty-six hours later, I was deported.
The Canadian embassy officials who were actually able to attend the verdict hearing said you could be deported as early as Thursday, and this is Tuesday afternoon. But they really didn't know, and they basically were saying, until we see you on the plane, we won't know.
So you have some rather unique insights into what Michael Spavor is going through. How do you think he is reacting to what happened yesterday?
I think in shock; I think he's numb. He probably had very little notice to the verdict hearing. I had no notice. They came to my cell and said "You're going to court," and I said, "What do you mean? I knew nothing about this." And then it happened.
So I don't know if he had notice or not, but he would have been preparing himself, knowing for months it would be coming at some point.
Have you tried to reach out or communicate with Michael Spavor or Michael Kovrig?
I can try to send a letter to the embassy or something, but are they delivered? I'm not sure. Are they able to deliver them? I'm not sure. I know the family gets messages through, but I'm not sure if they're sending essentially strangers' letters or not. But I have tried, for sure.
I know that you experienced dark days in that prison. So tell us what do Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig need from Canadians right now?
They need encouraging notes. They need to know, even if they don't receive the letters, that people are sending letters. Not only to the Canadian government, but to the Chinese embassy in Ottawa. They need to be sending notes to the Canadian embassy in Beijing, just hoping that some of these notes will get through to them and they will be encouraged by that. Knowing that people are standing behind them, doing what they can from afar, and that they're holding on to hope.
Written by Padraig Moran. Produced by Julie Crysler and Matt Meuse. Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.
