The Chinese government last Thursday announced that it has formally detained a Canadian man accused of stealing state secrets after months under house arrest, while releasing his wife, also a Canadian, on bail.
During a press briefing on Feb. 5, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Hong Lei said that Kevin Garratt was now being held in a criminal detention center by the Dandong division of the Ministry of State Security “for suspected theft of and prying into state secrets.” His wife, Julia Garratt, has been released on the condition that she not leave China for one year, according to a statement from the family’s lawyer, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton Beijing partner James Zimmerman.
The Garratts, natives of Vancouver, had been under residential surveillance by local authorities in Dandong, Liaoning province, in northern China since last August, for allegedly stealing secret information regarding Chinese military targets and defense research projects. The couple, who had lived in China since 1984, operated a coffee shop in Dandong near the border with North Korea and worked with a Christian charity group that provided humanitarian aid to North Koreans.
The Foreign Ministry didn’t specify whether Kevin Garratt was officially arrested or if he is going to be charged with espionage. “The relevant authorities of China will deal with this case and ensure the rights and interests of the people concerned in accordance with the law,” Hong said at the briefing, noting that the investigation was still ongoing.
The Garratt family said in a statement said that Kevin had been taken to a “more formal detention center at an unknown location” and that the couple was never formally arrested and no charges had been filed against them. “No evidence of any crime has been provided to the Garratts, family members or their lawyers of any criminal conduct,” the statement said.
According to The New York Times, the Garratts’ arrest comes amid a crackdown on foreign Christian groups providing assistance to North Koreans along the border. Their son, Simeon, told the Associated Press the couple “made no secret of their faith but did not flaunt it in China.” Chinese regulations allow foreigners to practice their religion in the country but strictly forbid missionary work.
In China, stealing state secrets brings a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. But endangering state security, which includes espionage and the use of religion to threaten that security, carries the possibility of life in prison or the death penalty.
The Garratt family said they would cooperate with the Chinese government’s investigations. “The family continues to call upon the governments of Canada and the People’s Republic of China to resolve this matter involving diplomatic means with a sense of urgency,” said Zimmerman.
One week before the Garratts’ detention last August, Canadian government science and technology research agency National Research Council reported that its website was hacked and sensitive information was leaked.
In December, Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre revealed that “highly sophisticated, Chinese state-sponsored” hackers were responsible for the attack. The Chinese government denied the accusations.
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