Michael Spavor resolves legal matter with Canadian government following imprisonment in China: lawyer

Michael Spavor, one of two Canadians imprisoned for nearly three years in China, has resolved a legal matter with the Canadian government, his lawyer confirmed Wednesday.

The Globe and Mail first reported that a settlement had been reached.

“I apologize, but I am only able to say that the matter between Mr. Spavor and the Government of Canada has been resolved,” reads an emailed response to CTV News from John K. Phillips, a lawyer for Spavor.

The resolution of the matter comes more than two years after Spavor and fellow Canadian Michael Kovrig, together dubbed “the two Michaels,” were released from Chinese custody in September 2021. Their return to Canada marked the end of a lengthy overseas imprisonment that began in December 2018, following the attempted extradition to the United States from Canada of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese tech giant Huawei.

Spavor was arrested for alleged espionage, a charge the government of Canada has denied, describing his and Kovrig’s detention as “unjust” and “arbitrary.” The men were released the same day that the U.S. Justice Department reached a deal to resolve charges against Meng.

Late last year, the Globe and Mail reported that Spavor was seeking a multimillion-dollar settlement from the Canadian government, citing unnamed sources. In an update Wednesday, the Globe reported that Spavor’s settlement is worth “about $6-million.”

Details regarding the resolution of the legal matter have not been specified, nor confirmed to CTV News by Phillips.