Canadian Detained by China Claims Experience of Psychological Torture, Reports Reuters

OTTAWA (Reuters) – A Canadian man who was held in detention in China for over 1,000 days has described his harrowing experience of months spent in solitary confinement and being subjected to lengthy interrogations, which he characterized as psychological torture.

In an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Michael Kovrig shared that he missed the birth of his daughter and only met her for the first time when she was two-and-a-half years old. Kovrig and another Canadian, Michael Spavor, were taken into custody in December 2018 shortly after Canadian authorities detained Meng Wanzhou, the CFO of Chinese tech giant Huawei, on a U.S. warrant. Both men faced accusations of espionage.

“I still carry a lot of pain around with me and that can be heavy at times,” Kovrig said in his first comprehensive remarks since he and Spavor were released in September 2021. He pointed out that U.N. guidelines recommend prisoners should not be held in solitary confinement for more than 15 consecutive days, stating, “More than that is considered psychological torture. I was there for nearly six months.”

Kovrig described the conditions of his solitary confinement, where there was no natural light and fluorescent lights were kept on around the clock. At one point, his food intake was reduced to just three bowls of rice daily.

“It was psychologically the most grueling and painful experience I’ve ever been through,” he recounted. Kovrig explained that the ordeal included a mix of isolation and relentless interrogations lasting six to nine hours every day, where he felt pressured to accept a distorted version of reality.

The release of Kovrig and Spavor coincided with the U.S. Justice Department’s withdrawal of its extradition request for Meng, enabling her return to China.

In response to Kovrig’s allegations, the Chinese embassy in Canada stated that both men were suspected of engaging in activities that threatened China’s national security and added that the cases were managed according to the law.

Tensions between Canada and China remain strained, highlighted by a recent anti-dumping investigation initiated by China concerning Canadian rapeseed imports, just weeks after Canada imposed full tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles.

At the time of Kovrig’s arrest, his partner was six months pregnant. She showed their daughter photos of Kovrig and played recordings of his voice to help her recognize him upon their eventual reunion.

“I’ll never forget that sense of wonder, of everything being new and wonderful again,” Kovrig expressed, reflecting on the joy he felt while pushing his daughter on a swing as she exclaimed to her mother, “Mummy, I’m so happy.”

The Chinese embassy in Canada did not immediately provide a comment.