NATO chief asks China to treat detained Canadians ‘fairly and with due process’

NATO’s chief is calling on China to treat two Canadians detained in the country “fairly and with due process.”

In his first public comments about the case, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said today that he was following their case “with concern.”

He called on Beijing to address the concerns of the Canadian government, which wants the pair to be “immediately released.”

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor have been detained in China since December for allegedly endangering national security.

WATCH: China demands Canada to ‘immediately release’ Huawei CFO

1:07 China demands Canada to ‘immediately release’ Huawei CFO

Their arrests came shortly after Canadian authorities in Vancouver arrested Meng Wanzhou, a senior executive with Chinese firm Huawei Technologies, who is wanted by the U.S. on fraud charges.

Another Canadian, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, received a death sentence for a previous drug-smuggling conviction, a harsher penalty than the 15 years of imprisonment he’d already been given.