The former diplomat was the second of two Canadians detained in China, facing spying allegations in a closed-door trial. The court said a verdict would be announced later. (The Globe and Mail)

Talking point: Michael Spavor’s trial had the same outcome late last week. The two men have been held for more than 830 days. Kovrig and Spavor’s arrests came after Canadian authorities detained Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, whose extradition trial is underway. Our editor-in-chief David wrote in his column last week, “The simplest way to manage this crisis is by focusing on what matters most—and that is the lives of the two Canadians…. However, this clarity of purpose requires a collective outrage that I have yet to see emerge among Canadians.” The Michaels did receive a show of support from more than 20 Western diplomats, who attempted to attend Kovrig’s trial Monday. Meanwhile, Canada announced new sanctions, in coordination with the U.S. and U.K. and in solidarity with the EU, against four officials and one entity for participating “in gross and systematic human rights violations in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.”