Canadians Kevin and Julia Garratt have been detained in China since last August on suspicion of spying for North Korea.
The couple is being held in separate locations and are only allowed outside for 30 minutes a day, according to their son.
Here鈥檚 a timeline of their detention and attempts by Canadian consular officials to negotiate their release:
Aug. 4 -
China鈥檚 Xinhua News Agency reports that the couple is being investigated by the state security bureau on suspicion of stealing state secrets. Kevin and Julia Garratt have lived in China since 1984.
Canada鈥檚 Department of Foreign Affairs releases a statement, saying it鈥檚 鈥済athering information and monitoring developments closely. Canadian consular officials stand ready to provide assistance, as required.鈥�
Aug. 5 -
The couple鈥檚 son, Simeon Garratt, says he has no idea why his parents have been detained after living in the country for so long.
"My only assumption is that there was some sort of misinformation along the way," Garratt tells 麻豆传媒 from Vancouver. "It's just an absurdly crazy story. It just makes no sense to me at all."
The couple is Christian, and China has been cracking down on religions and demolishing Christian churches, but Garratt doesn鈥檛 think that鈥檚 the reason for their detention.
"It's never been a secret that they've been Christian," he says. "There's nothing that has happened in the last week or so that would have changed the situation."
Aug. 6 -
After two days of silence, the couple is able to send a message to their son, saying they are not under physical duress but are confused and upset about the allegations.
"They just wanted everybody to know that they're safe," Simeon Garratt tells The Canadian Press.
"Physically they're fine, but they're really, at this point, just very frustrated and confused and are just hoping that the Chinese government is able to see the truth."
Oct. 31 -
As the Garratts and their family wait for answers, Harper is urged to bring up the case of Dr. Wang Bingzhang with the Chinese ambassador to Canada. Wang, who studied in Canada, has been in a Beijing prison since 2002, serving a life sentence for trying to foster democracy in China from abroad. Wang's relatives in Canada have been campaigning for his release, but have not been successful so far.
Nov. 4 -
While Harper is on his official visit to China, Simeon Garratt will also be in the country to meet with lawyers, embassy officials, and 鈥� he hopes --- his parents. Garratt says Chinese officials have not confirmed if he will get to visit his parents, but he still plans to deal with family business. Garratt says he didn't co-ordinate his trip to coincide with Harper's.
