Tomorrow is the first anniversary of the detentions of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

Both were formally arrested (逮捕) apparently some time before mid-May this year. According to the Criminal Procedure Law (with one exception noted below), even if the police take full advantage of the various extensions to time limits for investigation, the case must within seven months of formal arrest be turned over to the procuracy for a decision on whether or not to bring to trial. The seven-month period has either expired or is about to expire.

The exception is that the CPL allows for unlimited extensions of time to investigate if the Supreme People’s Procuracy makes a request to the NPC Standing Committee and it is approved. The only justification for the case not being turned over now is that such an extension was sought and received.

Once the case is handed over to the procuracy, the procuracy has one month (extendable by another half month) to decide whether or not to bring to trial (起诉). That would take us to the end of January.

Meanwhile, Meng Wanzhou is living in a $12 million dollar mansion and doing oil painting. Lu Shaye, the former Chinese ambassador to Canada, claimed that Canada was using a double standard. I’ll say.